Regions of Val

The continent of Val is divided into eight regions. Each region is inhabited by different races and cultures. The continent is surrounded by the four oceans.

To the East lies the Ocean of Monsters, which as its name implies is full of monsters. To the West lies the Ocean of Storms. Which again has a very suitable name, as it is terrorized by a permanent storm. Many have tried sailing both of them, none have gotten very far.

To the North lies a completely different kind of Ocean according to legends. One made entirely out of molten rock, it is named Vur. In between Val and this Ocean of Fire lies a region of volcanoes, smoke and dragons.

Lastly, to the South lies Yz, the Frozen Ocean. Which is exactly what it sounds like. A continent where temperatures drop far below the threshold for survival.

Centrea
A region surrounding the Centrean sea that stretches from the middle of the continent to the east. This is where the humans live. Each country struggles to recover after the anti-magic war and the undead invasion that followed. With almost no nobles left to rule Centrea is falling under the control of Guilds and similar organizations.

Centrea can be divided into six parts based on its geography and local cultures. Each of these parts is divided further into several countries of varying sizes. Due to the economical and military unrest most of these countries are unstable.

Former Blackshroud empire
In the north east there is the region of what was once the Blackshroud empire. After the empire collapsed only a small portion remained under its control. In order to distance the remains of the empire from its dark past the new empress renamed it after the founder of the empire. It is now known as Valkyrea. A former general of the blackshroud empire separated himself from the empress and has attempted several coups d'etat.

The countries south of Valkyrea are slowly stabilizing under the rule of Guilds. Formerly the guilds were controled by the empire. After Blackshroud fell these guilds became independant. One of these guilds is ChaoZ, located in a small town near the coast of the Centrean sea. This region is mostly covered in pinewood forests in the west and swamps in the east.

To the north of Valkyrea lie the dragon mountains. Small communities live here and often trade with the Dwarven cities farther up north. These people call themselves Ghel and tend not to trust outsiders. There are rumors that somewhere in these mountains there exists a hidden academy for delinquent mages that have been cast out elsewhere.

Central islands
In the center of the Centrean sea is a large Island divided into three colonies, it is known as rabbit Island. Between it and the former Blackshroud empire is a group of smaller islands.

The Desert
To the west of the former blackshroud empire lays a barren desert. Plagued by frequent Sandstorms harsh enough to scrape flesh from bone. This wasteland is only inhabited by a handful of nomadic tribes. They wander the desert looking for artifacts to trade and dinosaurs to hunt.

The only permanent settlement here belongs to the Desert City Guard Force, a mercenary organization. Each citizen there is a member of the DCGF. It was founded by exiled soldiers from the Blackshroud empire and one of the nomadic tribes. Because of their isolated location and neutrality in the anti-magic war they were barely affected by the war and the undead invasion. Thanks to this they are now the wealthiest and most politically powerful organization in Centrea. Their numbers are low because of the harsh environment they live in.

Deshret
In the most western part of the region a large fertile river runs, seperating the desert from the giant forest of Ghamea. It seems to be the most stable part of Centrea. Here lies the ancient mage city of Deshret. It has lost much of the glory it held more than a thousand years ago and most of it lies in ruins. But a small part is still occupied and thriving. It controls the surrounding area.

To the north of Deshret lies Syenkari. A small empire that controls the oases of the desert and its goldmines. They are working on restoring their old trade routes.

To the south of Deshret lies Asuba. A kingdom that has close ties to Deshret but is culturally very distinct. They are known for their black pyramids and rumors of necromancy.

A few other settlements are scattered throughout this area. Most of them live on the trade with the elves.

The Shattered Realms
The south west of Centrea was once divided into five countries. After the Anti-Magic war they splintered into many extremely small countries. This part of Centrea was the battlefield for the majority of that war. Now bandit war lords fight over the scraps that remain. Borders here change so swiftly that drawing them on maps is meaningless.

This constant fighting has left the region in shambles. There are no more great cities, only small towns and villages. The ground is barren and covered in mud. Magical storms terrorize the people living here on a daily basis. Only the extremely stubborn and hopeless remain. Everyone else has fled or perished trying.

Southern coast
The central southern coast is less chaotic thanks the the remnants of the Order of light. Each faction that broke away from the order and survived now controls a country here. Five of these factions are left, including the Knights of Eli.

And lastly to the South east there are two larger countries that aren't controlled by a remnant of the Order. One of those countries is a republic of Orcish pirates. While the other is a colony of the Goblin Empire.

Ghamea
The Giant forest West of Centrea. Here the fauna and flora grow to gigantic sizes. The deeper you go into the forest the larger everything becomes. This is the home of the Wood elves and the Faries. Most other races avoid this forest because only the locals know how to travel here without getting lost forever.

The Nexus tree
According to legends there is a large city inside a giant magical tree in the deepest part of this forest. This tree is believed to be the largest Nexus on Val and the birthplace of the fairies.

Every few years all tribes come together at the Nexus tree to celebrate, exchange tales and sometimes they select new kings and queens.

The Rings
The rest of the forest can be divided into Rings that spread out from the Nexus tree. The borders of the Rings can only be noticed by those with extensive knowledge of the forest. The exact amount of Rings in the forest is unknown to outsiders. Estimates range from six to thirty possible rings. A few wood elves have been "convinced" to reveal the amount of rings and other secrets but their accounts contradict each other. It is assumed that most (if not all) of them are lying. Each ring has multiple tribes taking care of it.

The wood elves and fairies live together in many different tribes here. Some ruled by druids others by warrior kings or queens. Those in the deepest parts of the forest are said to live inside the giant trees. Those that live closer to the edge of the forest have villages of tree houses high up in the trees. There are a few regular towns scattered across the edge of the forest and along the coast. These towns are merchant towns and the only places foreigners are allowed to visit.

Officially the Wood elves are divided into five tribal groupings. The River tribes, the Storm tribes, the Stone tribes, the Fire Tribes and the Inner tribes. However all Wood elves travel freely inbetween tribes. Visiting each tribal group is in fact a coming of age ritual for every Wood elf and Fairy.

The Elven Isles
In the past a treaty was established between all the elves that no foreign army is allowed to pass through the forest. If an army were to break this treaty the tribes of Ghamea would join forces and declare an all out war against the invaders. This treaty was made to stop the long war between the High and Dark elves which had been destroying parts of the forest. Both sides know that breaking the treaty would mean they have to fight both the other side and the combined forces of Ghamea. This threat was enough to stop the war, for a while.

Now the High and Dark elves fight each over control of the islands in the Ocean of Storms instead. The tribes of Ghamea don't care as long as their forest remains unharmed. The local Sun elven tribes are far less happy about it. However their technology is too far behind to stand a chance of fighting back. They are being slowly pushed away from their own ancestral lands.

The permanent storm to the west is always visible on the horizon. It always creeps closer only to fall back again shortly after reaching the mainland.

Elev'Xerea
The high kingdom to the south of Ghamea. Once known as Elyea. A large region of fertile valleys that stretch as far as the eyes can see. Once the place where the Angels built their greatest cities. Now the High elves occupy these ancient cities and the small towns around them.

The kingdom is divided into four tribes. Three of them ruled by their own governor who only answers to the king. The fourth one is ruled by the king himself. Each province has one capital city that had been built by the angels. One exception is the Citadel where the king lives. Which is a replica built long after the angels had gone extinct because the previous capital Rymea was lost in the first undead invasion.

The four cities are:

Nev'Rymea in the middle of the kingdom. With the royal palace and the castle of the royal army. The administrational center of everything the High elves do. It was modeled loosely on the old Angelic capitol of Rymea.

To the south west lays Ostea, the harbor city which is also infested with crime. It's political control is officially in the hands of a noble governer. However in reality he is merely a puppet for the three criminal factions that actually control the city.

To the north east lies Sequilea the largest trading city in Val with direct connections to Ghamea, Centrea and Arimea. They are known for their love of culture and art. They also have a reputation for partying too hard. However out of the three main cities they are the most loyal to the royal family.

To the far South east lies Rauvinnea which holds some of the last operational angelic technology and the largest library in the kingdom. This city has extremely high walls and the inside is not unlike a maze. Making it nearly impossible for outsiders (mostly orc nomads) to conquer it. It's also the home of a zealous cult who believe it's the High elves their duty to rid the world of anything demonic.

Asherea
A harsh grey desert wasteland to the north of Ghamea. Once the home of the Ancient demons. When the Ancient demons disappeared it became the home of the Dark elves. The surface is crawling with dangerous monsters and all the dark elves now live in their great underground cities. The only safe way to travel here is to use the magic portals from one city to the other.

Dark elven cities are independent matriarchies. Men are secondary citizens in dark elven society and are banned from learning magic.

The underground City states
Efira, Ruled by an oligarchical council and an annually elected leader. They have a fleet of airships they keep on a nearby mountain. The city lies at the border, close to Centrea and Dracagia. In peace time the airships are used for trading with the humans and dwarves. Also known for its luxurious brothels.

Kadmeaya, the Central city state because of its seven magic portals that connect to more places than the portals of the other city states do. The priestesses here closely guard the secrets of portal magic. These Priestesses are all part of the cult of Ashera and they use their hidden knowledge to keep their hold on absolute power over this city. It is also the oldest dark elven city state.

Lacae, the Military state. Its land army is the most formidable out of all the dark elven city states and led the war against the high elves until it went cold. The soldiers in this army are all dark elven women with Demonic bloodlines. They are ruled by two half-demon Queens. Magic is less important here. Instead they rely on the demonic powers (Aether) their bloodlines give them. Men with demonic bloodlines that live here are the only dark elven men who have true freedom. However they are still a lower class than most dark elven women.

Ashea, has semi-democracy for the women, but all men are lowly slaves. The highest naval power. The most powerful dark elven mages live here. A third of the city lies several miles under water. The water is kept out by a gigantic semi-transparent dome made with dwarven spell-weaving magic. Unfortunately like all magic this dome is not permanent. Every generation a new dome needs to be weaved under the old one. Over time this causes the water to get closer to the city edge. The latest dome is getting uncomfotably close to the houses on the city edge. This is causing some unrest.

Krysea, a mysterious temple of Ashera. Here the powerful Oracle sits, leaders of the other cities often contact her for her guidance and visions of the future. Some whispers say that the Oracle sees no visions but merely owns the greatest information and spy network. Either way she is seen as one of the most powerful people in all of Val. It's location is a closely guarded secret. Although it's rumored to be located far north.

The Surface
A vast and dark grey wasteland with almost no vegetation. The whole region is infested with dangerous monsters and rock eating worms. In the south-east lies a graveyard of petrified trees known as Gloom forest. To the east of the city of Ashea you can find Spiral lake. A giant lake that seems to be one giant whirlpool that never stops violently churning. There are also ancient ruins scattered all over the wasteland.

In the most northern part of Asherea, near the border with Vur, there is a place known as Dragon valley. Legends say this is actually a dragon nest, full of Giant dragon eggs.

Dracagia
The Dragon mountains to the north of Centrea. Inside these mountains lies a network of tunnels that once connected the grand dwarven cities. Each of these cities lay inside or on top of a mountain. Only four of these cities remain intact all the others have been destroyed by the undead invasions or other disasters. There are also small towns scattered around the mountains of these cities.

The border between Centrea and Dracagia is rather vague because the dragon mountains themselves are partly in Centrea. In between the two regions humans and dwarves often live closely together. Most agree however that everything north of the Wyvern Valley is Dwarven territory. The Valley itself is shared because Wyverns are valued as mounts by both sides. This wasn't always the case however and conflicts have often been fought over control of the valley.

Dwarven cities
The largest city of the Dwarves is Aesedr. Once the capital of the Dwarven empire it is located on the tallest mountain in Val. The city has two parts, the outer fortress built on the side of the mountain and the inner city carved out inside the mountain itself. The two parts are separated by a gigantic golden gate. At the top of the mountain sits the royal palace. The Dwarves here pride themselves on being warriors and hunters. They fly through the skies on several species of mounts.

The second largest city is Venhym which sits just north of the Feryn Forest. A forest that is sacred to the dwarven goddess Feryn. Inside the forest there are many temples in her name, some of them in better condition than others. The terrain is rough and the dwarves here ride big cats to get around. They pride themselves on being herders and protectors of the forest.

Up in the north is another city, Thrymvedr. The climate up there is dry and hot because it lies so close to Vur and it's lava lakes. The Dwarves here ride on mountain goats that are excellent at climbing up the steep mountain sides. The dwarves themselves are also expert climbers and make it look like an art. Unfortunately they tend to often have conflicts with the local Gyendae demons.

Lastly there is Mirkvellr. The secretive and isolationist city that lies close to Asherea. The Dwarves here have long standing ties to the Dark elves to the west. Similar to the Dark elves these Dwarves live partly underground. From the dark elves they have learned how to use magic. However they have put their own twist on the art of magic and invented the art of Spellweaving, a special kind of magic that allows spells to last much longer. They have formed a symbiotic bond with subterranean fungi. It grows on their skin and glows in the dark, allowing them to traverse the dark tunnels easily. Each dwarf has a unique fungi pattern.

An underground rail road is being constructed along the ancient passageways and mines between the cities. This is an attempt to reconnect the now isolated cities. So far only Aesedr and Venhym are working on this. The dwarves have hired goblin engineers to help with this project.

Vorahym
On the north-eastern coast there are settlements of dwarves who have left the mountains. These dwarves are master ship builders and often raid Centrea and the eastern Islands. The largest settlement here is called Vorahym, named after the exiled river goddess Vora.

Vur
To the north lies the edge of Val. Beyond that point lies Vur, an enormous continent filled with active volcanoes and lava lakes. This place is only inhabited by demons and dragons. According to legends the farthest northern end is just a giant cliff above an ocean of molten rock.

Arimea
Beyond the perpetually foggy hills known as the Grey veil lies Arimea. A region divided into four parts based on their geography.

The Wildlands.
The western and western plains of Arimea mostly inhabited by large orc tribes. They continue the nomadic lifestyle Orcs have had since their origins. Back when they were known as the Horde from beyond the Grey Veil.

Zyrak
The northern forests and the surrounding river plains, near the Grey Veil. Here there are cities where Orcs and humans live together. Jidu is the capital here, a city known for its strong interest in magic. Most people here live and work near the Tamyreki river. An important river named after Queen Tamyri who died near the river while defending her people from the Goblin empire.

Currently this region is divided between three countries. Each of them vying for control of the whole of Zyrak.

Asuyak
Here in the eastern hills the orcs and goblins have claimed the cities that the goblin empire abandoned ages ago. Sardyz is the richest of these cities. Each city is technically part of the greater country but in practice they are all independent. The coasts and skies are often plagued by pirates. Some of the orcs have attempted to return to their old nomadic ways and travel through the local hills from city to city.

Surennak
The snowy region to the south. Here a group of dwarven sea raiders settled down among the local Orcs. Nuvkoraad was their first settlement and is still an important trading city. Their capital however is Kiuva, a city surrounded by a large pine forest. Because this region is so close to Hel it is always very cold here. This is also the cause for the regions undead infestations that occur a little bit too often for comfort. Recently the local orcs have become frustrated with the dwarves keeping all the political power to themselves.

The Eastern Islands
The many Islands to the east of Centrea and Arimea.

Dai Ciipun
The three biggest of these Islands are where the Goblin empire sits. Their great cities here are far more advanced technologically than any city on the main continent of Val. This is thanks to almost two thousand years of tinkering with Angelic artifacts.

Their largest cities are Hongu, Yometaru and Kagutei. All three of these cities have been the capital of the empire at some point in time. Currently emperor Kamezura sits in Yometaru. From there he oversees the empire's recovery efforts after the last undead invasion.

The Island ring
Not all Islands here belong to the empire however. Some Island settlements claim independence which tends to upset the empire. But some islands are just out of their reach. Then there's the Sea Nomads, tribes of goblins who live on boats and travel between the Islands. These sea nomads are the descendants of the goblins that fled the empire.

Some of the northern Islands have been settled by dwarven vikings and a few have human settlements. Some settlements are home to multiple races living together.

Two small Islands east of Dai Ciipun are known as Sun and Moon Island. Both of them once held high religious value to the goblins.Today the temples lay abandoned.

To the north there is an active volcano that rises out of the water. It is known as Mt. Shidaru.

East of Mt. Shidaru is a group of five islands known as the Silver Isles. These islands hold high amounts of silver and other valuable metals. They are often fought over because of it.

The islands often have to deal with pirates and dwarven vikings raiding them. Aggressive giant sea creatures are also more common the farther east you go. Both of those thing have made exploration of the Eastern Sea very difficult. As such it goes largely unmapped.

Hel
After the first undead invasion the undead retreated to this region. Everyone else abandoned it and since then this region has only three things: Ruins, enormous amounts of undead creatures and even more amounts of ice. The ruins of ancient Rymea, capitol city of the angels, can be found here.

To the south of Hel lies the gigantic continent of Yz, also known as the Frozen ocean. They say it is made entirely of ice. However, nobody has ever gotten close enough to find out if the rumors are true.