Country Atlas

This is a brief overview of places, countries, and organizations of Halika - more of a starting point to explore than a thorough examination. This atlas will go continent by continent - starting with the "premise"/vibes of each area, then getting into the broad big-picture areas and factions (religions being the broadest factions usually), and finally getting into the individual countries and cultures with brief blurbs.       For a reminder of what each continent's "vibe" is, here's a brief summary to best locate what continent fits what you are looking for:

• Samvara is a heaven-touched continent ruled by druid-lords who fight over these lush and rich lands in endless religious squabbles
• Desmia and Izekra are constant battlegrounds of interspecies war cursed by the Architects.
• Stildane is wasteland of magical radiation, with mortals building what they can despite it all
• Suneka is a land defined by a monolithic imperialistic culture-religion. The Sunekans strive for progress, technology, and democracy, but can be oppressive and are prone to infighting
• Inahng is a realm shaped by Architect-touched demigod emperors. A land of law, bloodlines, and ancient power.
• Larazel is a commercial mixture between Samvara, Sonev and Garadel, a merchant's paradise torn between tradition and plurality
• Garadel is a land of enchanting smiths but has a relatively short history. Trade, crafting, and intrigue abound
• Sonev is a bountiful land torn asunder by a cold-war of authoritarian states.
• Ekraht is a volcanic dragon-themed corporate wonderland
• Maradia is a land of magical construct-robots and fantastic machines, in an eternal silent class war
• Nafena is a piractical nest of artistic doomsday cults who fight for dominance

Use the above table of contents to see the details of your preferred continent.   See the country pages or Settlement Atlas for specific cities or places in these areas. Stildane is wasteland of magical radiation, with mortals building what they can despite it all. This is easily one of the most detailed regions and the easiest to "pick up and play". Stildane is mutated into many species, and magic and monsters are more common here. The Northern part of the continent is divided between the knightly mutant Uvarans and the imperialistic Kobold Kivish . The Southern part largely revolves around the disintegrating empires there as everything falls apart. See Stildane Setting Guide.   Map of North Stildane<br />                     Map of South Stildane                     Map of Greater Stildane                       Major factions and faiths include:

• The Uvaran faith. Uvara is a religion dedicated to a small pantheon of mostly-benevolent gods headed by Ustav, the God of Spring who will one day lead the virtuous to eternal paradise. Ustav is a God of cycles, who dies and revives every year - and Uvara is a religion of grief, survival, hope, and resilience. Uvara is not super centralized, but the Autumn Court in the Kingdom of Hain is the self-appointed leader of the religion. Not every Uvaran agrees.
• The Kivish religion is a faith that caters to Kobolds, but there are non-Kobold believers. This religion believes that the world is a dream, and most Kivish priests and gurus believe that only Kobolds are entirely real outside of that dream. Kivish believers are taught to detach themselves from petty material wants and to look for meaning in the world to "wake up". There are many kinds of Kivish belief, and there isn't a super centralized structure. The "Star Council" of the Empire of Kizen is the self-appointed head of all the Kivish religion.
• The Darzan University is a semi-secret organization of the greatest wizards of the world, who have many connections and research stations in Stildane. The Darzans mostly work through contractors and affiliates; they avoid being tied down in petty politics or local affairs, and generally try to keep their involvement in local wizarding groups secret.
• The Sunekan religion. Sunekans are based in another continent (which they also call Suneka) but seek to endlessly expand their faith through missionaries and militaries. Sunekans believe that everyone should embrace their specific culture, which they believe will create harmony with the spirits of the world; they value sameness. Sunekans also preach universal equality of those within the faith, and seek to make republics rather than monarchies.

  Major countries include:   The Kingdom of Hain in Northern Stildane, which is a powerful feudal kingdom of obsessed with honor, chivalry, and the dominance of knights and lords over commoners. Hain may not be the largest kingdom, but its nobility has weaseled its way into kingdoms around the continent - much of the continent's land is held by noble families that ultimately have a seat in Hain. Hain is aggressively Uvaran and hates the Kivish.   The Empire of Kizen in Northern Stildane, which is a rising empire ruled by Kivish Kobolds. Kizen is commercial, more obsessed with hard cash than feudal hierarchies. They have control over trade and industry in countries across the North, and are in a cold war of sorts with Hain. Kizen has more advanced technology and magic, but is very controlling over who gets access.   The Empire of Eketen in Southern Stildane, which is a collapsing militaristic empire divided between feuding warlords. Eketen is focused on law, military order, and waging a war on the "chaos" of the wasteland itself. It is Uvaran in religion.   The Kingdom of Arvarun in Southern Stildane, which is also a kingdom in the middle of a civil war. Arvarun's civil war is religious, between Uvarans and Sunekans.   Minor countries include:

• The Kingdom of Gennorholn, which is a sad, pious Uvaran country in Northern Stildane known for its bleak survivalist population. Hates both the big Northern powers (Hain and Kizen), which are constantly taking their lands and money. Contains the holy city of the Uvarans.
• Kingdom of Verzavek, which is a small, prosperous Northern kingdom obsessed with technology and "progress". Led by a Kivish elite that is very paternalistic, Verzavens fetishize work ethic but also are taught to be more open-minded about change.
• The Kingdom of Dovenar is a small, super-feudal Uvaran Northern country. Dovenar is relatively sleepy and known for its many magic ruins. Home to a conservative culture with a huge gap between lords and commoners.
• The Kingdom of Nidever, a rowdy mountainous Northern Uvaran kingdom that seeks to expand underground. At war with underground monsters, Nidever is hard-working, hard-drinking, and kinda mean at times.
• The Kingdom of Vetenka, which is a small frontier forest kingdom in Northern Stildane. Uvaran and poor, but with more room for commoners to advance in society. Under perpetual threat by monsters and other problems.
• Sanctuary of Uvasten, a hidden tiny kingdom deep in the chaos wastes of the North. Uvaran. Semi-legendary, as few people can reach here.
• The Nightmare Kingdom of Kazel-Karn, a small Kivish kingdom in the chaos wastes of Northern Stildane. Heretics that many know as lunatics, the mad mages of Kazel-karn twist chaos magic into new forms in their quest for Enlightenment. Kazel-Karn has a surprisingly free and open culture where anything goes; this is not an "evil kingdom", despite what outsiders might think.

Other broad regions of Stildane include

• Boram, the frigid Northlands where sailing raiders rule.
• Uzeven, the far interior where the magic is less intense and the people are more isolated.

There are also a bunch of unique chaos wastes here - places so blasted with chaos magic that people mostly live in scattered and isolated communities hiding from monsters.   Desmia and Izekra are constant battlegrounds of interspecies war cursed by the Architects. Desmia is divided between the bloodthirsty human crusaders known as the Orthodox Desmians, the sadistic Dryad Mathari Empire, and the warped raiders of the The Feywilds.   See Desmian Campaign Setting for campaign details.   Map             Map of Desmian-Izekran Religions              

Desmia

Desmia is the Northern continent-island, the most cursed of them all. Doomed to rain blood once a year; doomed to fight in endless wars.   The major factions and faiths in Desmia proper include:

• Orthodox Desmianism: a grim and militaristic faith that believes that non-human and non-animal species are demons waging eternal war on mankind. This xenophobic religion launches frequent crusades against its neighbors and inspires many slave-raiding pirates in the surrounding seas. The Orthodox are the dominant power of Desmia proper, but are frequently attacked and harassed by neighboring powers and even divine interventions organized by The Lunar Pantheon. The Orthodoxy is led by The Perpetual Conclave of Desmia, a council of crusader-priests who organize the grand crusades.
• The Mathari Empire and its allies: The Mathari are Dryads who, like the Orthodox, have accepted a grim, militaristic, and xenophobic worldview to better wage eternal merciless war. The Mathari are less interested in total extermination of other species and are more interested in their subjugation before the chosen few. The Mathari, as the "lesser of two evils", receives considerable support from other continents organized by The Lunar Pantheon
• The Feywilders: tribes and kingdoms that inhabit the magically protected mountains at the center of Northern Desmia, but have been twisted by its magic. Feywilders are pragmatic raiders and mercenaries, determined to remain free of both Orthodox crusaders and Mathari subjugation.
• Ishkibism: The Ishkibites are a militaristic faith diverging from Orthodox Desmianism, that worship the Lunar God Ishkibal as a savior and preach that any being, demon or not, can be holy and good through effort. Ishkibites have secret resistance networks throughout Desmia and control mountain strongholds scattered across the continent. They also have a cluster of kingdoms in the Northwest penninsula. Ishkibites fight to free sacrificial captives from Desmian crusaders, and work to undermine both Mathari and Orthodox military machines.

  Major countries include:   The Empire of Avana: largest and wealthiest of Orthodox Desmian kingdoms, well removed from the theaters of war in South-Central Desmia. Avana is more laid back, more normal as Desmian realms go; its civilian populace quietly resents the warriors who rule it. Avana considers itself the rightful leader of the Orthodox, and their nobility and merchants are known to meddle throughout the continent. Non-human captives are brought in throngs to Avana to be sacrificed. Such sacrifice is the custom of the noble class, to legitimize their rule - the Avanans are wealthy enough to outsource their murder.   The Mathari Empire: as previously established, the Mathari are a hyper-militaristic state of Dryad supremacists waging an eternal war against the rest of the continent (with foreign support). The Mathari see themselves as the only pure beings in the world and are taught that if their kingdom falls the world will end. They subjugate and even enslave non-dryads; infamously, they use "gem farming" to painfully transform prisoners of war into steel-hard gems. The Mathari are under constant attack, have a constant sense of persecution, and dedicate their entire society to terrible war.   The Holy Republic of Pakray: a rich and influential Orthodox Desmian republic of the South, known for its numerous priest-training schools and culture of intense piety. Pakrayans are argumentative; they see their land as the heart and soul of all of Desmia. Their priest-lords endlessly propagandize to the people and stir them to crusade, competing in the cut-throat politics of the republic. Vigilante militias terrorize locals who are insufficiently xenophobic, and military service is expected.   The Kingdom of Ralev: an Orthodox kingdom in the North. This kingdom is decentralized, run by sprawling extended-family clans and monasteries of warrior-monks. Ralev is big, not entirely wealthy, and plagued by its fair share of monsters - but it is a kingdom on the rise.   The Empire of Nefka: Wealthiest and most aggressive of the Feywild kingdoms, Nefka boasts many clans of mercenaries and raiders. Nefka is something of a city-state (built around a big magical artifact) that aspires to unite all Feywilders under its banner of the black wolf - in days of old Nefkans would raids and pillage across the continent, and many wish to return to those days. Other Nefkans are slier - refined merchants and bankers, scholars and spellcasters who compete for the great wealth of the City of the Nightmare Wardens.   Minor countries include:

• The Platinum Order, a war-torn swampy hellhole run by the most bloodthirsty Orthodox crusaders. Irradiated by chaos magic from Stildane and plagued by monsters, knights-turned-drug-lords rule as petty kings of this blasted marsh.
• Kingdom of Inara, an arid Orthodox kingdom divided among nobles and landlords, known for its refined legal code and lawyers. On the brink of civil war.
• The Holy State of Drinika, essentially a city state run by the top Orthodox priests.
• The Kidon March, a small Orthodox crusader state clinging along the coast near the Feywilds. Bulwark against feywild raiders, only the perpetual crusade traffic keeps Kidon alive.
• The Kingdom of Torza, a small mercantile Orthodox kingdom and least-poor part of the wartorn crusader region of Esken.
• Serene Principality of Okina, a small feywild city-state run by Vespers - bat people. An orderly city, and the top rival to the Empire of Nefka
• The Federated Lands of Palava, a coalition of feywilder tribes known for their fierce love of stags, freedom, and good drink
• The Kingdom of Tikra, a small feywild kingdom aligned with the Mathari. Known for their hatred of the Orthodox crusaders and love of poison.
• The Kingdom of Traya, an island nation of Orthodox gnomes - Haltia - that is torn between gnomish cheer and Orthodox bloodlust
• The Kingdom of Lusaya, the chief Ishkibite realm of the Northwest

But the struggles of Desmia do not fit neatly onto the continent. They spill most notably into Izekra, of course, but they also flow North into Stildane. Specifically, the frozen Northlands of Boram, where Orthodox Crusaders fight chaos-magic-infused local kingdoms and Ishkibites.  

Izekra

Izekra refers to the Southern island-continents ("Izekra" here also includes "Lothay" on the map). Still war-torn, but only parts are cursed with raining blood and endless war. No part of Izekra is truly safe from the bloodshed, but it is much less infused into the land and peoples than Desmia is.   The major factions and faiths in Izekra include:   The Ishkibites - the big religion here, but split into a few pieces. They work together, but have distinctly different vibes.

• The First Temple of Ishkibism: this is the original flavor of Ishkibism - a militaristic religion that preaches that any evil person will become a demon and that any good demon can become a person. This is a religion of discipline. That which refuses to be taught virtue must be slain with the blade. The cursed blood that rains from the sky becomes purifying water by the will of the ascended ancestors who shall remake God in their image. First Ishkibites fight anyone who does not follow their God, Ishkibal.
• The Draconic Temple of Ishkibism: commercial Ishkibism, less intense and more willing to work with others to glorify Ishkibal. They help support the First temple through diplomacy, subtlty, and wealth. This is the Ishkibism of those Western Izekrans/Lothayans who aren't really in the thick of all that war.
• The Eastern Temple of Ishkibism: a funkier, more syncretic branch of Ishkibism common in the Southeastern tropics. More communal, less intense - but still show up to fight when the other faiths come around.

The other religions/factions:

• Orthodox Desmianism: a grim and militaristic faith that believes that non-human and non-animal species are demons waging eternal war on mankind. This xenophobic religion launches frequent crusades against its neighbors and inspires many slave-raiding pirates in the surrounding seas. The Orthodox are the dominant power of Desmia proper, but are frequently attacked and harassed by neighboring powers and even divine interventions organized by The Lunar Pantheon. The Orthodoxy is led by The Perpetual Conclave of Desmia, a council of crusader-priests who organize the grand crusades. The Orthodox also have kingdoms in Izekra.
• The Halikvar: in far Western Lothay/Izekra, the Halikvar reign supreme. These druid-lords came to these lands to kill Ishkibites and Orthodox, which they see as brainwashed maniacs who threaten the world by existing. The Halikvar are dogmatic semi-monotheists (Halcyon being the best Goddess, and Lily of Red her greatest servant) who enforce a strict code of religious law. The Halikvar value nature, magic, and learning, but are not taught to value outside cultures and religions very much.

  The countries of Izekra include:   The Holy State of Rukray, the ancestral home of all Ishkibism and the sanctum of the First Temple Ishkibites. Right next to Desmia (which is owned by crusaders who hate Ishkibites), which is a problem. Rukray contains the holy Kenahai, the unconquerable city. The most hardcore warrior-Ishkibite place there is, and not the nicest.   The Kingdom of Asalay, the heart of Draconic Ishkibim and wealthy trading kingdom. The capitol city, also called Asalay, has a lucrative magical Underworld (loot-filled megadungeon) and the city is full of diverse cultures and religions brought from around the world. Very cosmopolitan.   The Kingdom of Azera, an Orthodox Desmian kingdom that controls critical straights of trade and commerce. The Azerans are more cautious and careful crusaders, more willing to tolerate Ishkibites and foreign ship traffic if it means they can gather wealth to crusade with.   The Kingdom of Taneth, a recently conquered kingdom by Orthodox Desmians that is a massive orgy of looting and subjugation. A haven of pirates filled with maniacal Orthodox Crusaders, Taneth is less a true country and more of a headquarters for Desmian expansion surrounded by the horrors of occupation.   The Kingdom of Adava, an elitist Orthodox crusader kingdom known for its knights and magicians, always at war with the Ishkibites. Adavans have a large Ishkibite underclass, which they constantly fear; they also have a culture of boastful pride that pressures Orthodox youth into mandatory military service. The front line against Rukray, always gunning to topple Ishkibal's holy city.   Regions and minor countries of Izekra include:

• Dinaketh, a swampy jungle warzone between Orthodox and Ishkibites that has been infested with necromancers. Now, it is a realm of petty warlords and communities under siege, divided between seventeen tiny kingdoms.
• The Flower Coast, a tropical Ishkibite coastline fighting against Desmian crusaders and pirates. Ishkibite kingdoms act as outposts, seeking to both resist raiders and impose their will on the tribes in the forest (a mix of Ishkibites and non-believers). Nine tiny kingdoms dot the coast.
• Deluja, a tropical region South of the Flower Coast known as a crossroads of continents. Nine small sedentary coastal kingdoms dot the tropics, though many other political formations exist in the free peoples beyond them. The richest of the sedentary kingdoms, Vralhu, is a commercial hub uniting merchants from around the world.
• Arvea is an island split into fifteen feuding kingdoms. The island curiously combines Halikvar and Ishkibite religion in a way that makes everyone else in the world mad. The people resist all forces; they embrace romanticism, are very welcoming of others, and have a deep attachment to the island as a free land.
• The Kingdom of Lurelay is a split kingdom - ruled by a Halikvar monarch as well as a mostly-Ishkibite parliament. The land of cotton, as it is known, as bitterly religiously divided but is working towards peace and compromise. Wealthiest of the Halikvar states.
• Isaok is an aggressively Halikvar kingdom, where the religion has become deeply ingrained into local communities with astonishing potency. Isaok is Asalay's wary neighbor and rival, though not quite an enemy.
• Alareth, in the far East, is the great rising star of Eastern Temple Ishkibism. Keepers of the Horn of Ishkibal, the Alarethi rose from nothing decades ago and are working to unite the East under the banner of the reborn ancestors. They seek to bring all people together under empire and temple, as Ishkibal once did. They are a deeply pious, mostly-Dryad, and quite adaptive (eagerly seeking new technologies). In some ways Alareth has taken the Eastern temple hostage with its zeal and force.

There is also Ukaram to the East, where the Eastern Ishkibites meet the distant Sunekans and Keveket. Ukaram is a largely un-explored equatorial continent, where cultures meet and clash.   Samvara has the most divine influence and connected religions. These groups fight quite a lot about religion, trade, and most everything else. Samvara is a land of druid-kings and mage-lords who rule not just through magical force but through worship and ideology. The continent is lush, densely populated, and rich from its centuries of divine and magical gardening.   Map of Samvara               Samvara is generally split into four zones: the Western riverlands/sea, the Northern coast, the Eastern basins, and the South-central inland seas. Each of these zones is a little different, but generally speaking each hosts a major religion.   Map of Samvaran Religions             The major factions and faiths in Samvara include:

• The Pratasa Temple: Pratasam is an ancient semi-monotheistic religion that worships the primordial Goddess Halcyon. Pratasam is a hierarchical religion that teaches that their trained druid-scholars should lead society - though leaders also bear greater scrutiny. Pratasa people are taught to wear special bows to mark their faith and to honor the many inferior Gods and nature spirits that connect people to Halcyon. The Pratasa revere the Lunar goddess Lily of Red.
• The Aretan Church: Areto is a semi-monotheistic religion that that worships the primordial Goddess Halcyon and her pantheon of children-gods. Areto is a hyper-communal religion that spurns the individual and encourages priest (or imperial bureaucrat) -led group decision making. Areto honor the sun, cycles, and views the world as a clash between good and evil (where good will inevitably triumph). The Aretans revere the Lunar goddess Lily of Red.
• The Halikvar Temples: Halikvar is a mostly-monotheistic religion that that worships the primordial Goddess Halcyon and the nature spirits and saints that enact her will. Halikvar is a legalistic and dogmatic faith, giving order to nature and society - it also preaches equality among the good-hearted and pious. Halikvar revere the Lunar goddess Lily of Red.
• The Ayshan Church: Ayshanism is a monotheistic religion that worships Aysha, the sentient magic lighthouse, as the true Goddess. Ayshans are taught to reject all other Gods as either supersition or as predators preying on naive worshippers. They are taught to value scholarship and learning, to reject at all forms of unfounded belief, and to preach a universal code of ethics. Ayshans revere the Lunar God Haru
• The Sumoxan Temples: Sumoxans are disorganized and chaotic, a big-tent religion that embraces hundreds of local practices, rituals, and beliefs. Sumoxan religion teaches that the world is filled with gods, spirits, and parallel worlds - all are true, but none ultimately matter. Sumoxans embrace mysticism and value self-mastery. Aysha and Halcyon are worshipped as the supreme Goddesses, combining elements of the other dominant religions. Sumoxans revere the Lunar God Haru as well as many local gods and spirits.
• The Akada Priesthood: Akadism is simply the religion-philosophy of the Kima Cities. Kima Cities are massive underground mountain cities that operate on strict social hierarchies; your role subsumes your very name in the Kima. The Kimas do not preach, they simply keep to themselves.
• The Khilaia: A federation of Selkie merchants and mercenaries that encircles the globe, but is based off of islands West of Samvara. The Khilaia avoid the affairs of the land-dwellers and generally just want to trade and travel in their regular migrations.
• The Healing Church: A global organization of alchemists, healers, and assassins based out of Samvara. They are politically and religious neutral, but can be extremely aggressive in killing anyone else who would dare make healing potions.

  Major countries of Samvara include:   The Empire of Shenerem, the great empire of the Aretan Church. They are a tolerant empire in matters of faith and culture, but they demand uncompromised submission and loyalty - and are always looking for signs of that disloyalty in non-Aretans. The empire is sophisticated in its art and generous in its support of the (loyal) poor.   The Kingdom of Empria, richest and most populous of the Pratasa kingdoms. Land of the druid-lords, haughty and wise. A rigidly feudal society, where the gap between elite and common is vast. Ancient, proud, and quick to anger - yet also full of hope and appreciation of nature.   The Grand Kingdom of Severesh, current leader-of-the-pack of the Halikvar kingdoms. A martial society and one of intense piety. Severesh looks outward, seeking to understand the world to conquer it by word and sword. A society that values pragmatism, action, and boldness.   The Kingdom of Siashi, a Halikvar kingdom that seeks wealth and power above all. It is still Halikvari, but it has its fair share of pirates and opportunists - it raids and trades around the world, bringing home loot aplenty.   The Empire of Shirpatra, chief among the Ayshan kingdoms and led by the lighthouse-Goddess herself. Wealthy, well-educated, and cosmopolitan - big cities and towns led by well-intentioned nigh-immortal beings of light. Very nice place with great conditions for people, but the culture can sneer at outsiders and there is a lot of pressure for individual success in the system.   The Holy Flock of Sakesh, a large monk-ruled Sumoxan military theocracy that controls much of the Southern inland sea. Decentralized and increasingly falling apart politically, with a complex web of clans, noble houses, merchants, artisan groups, and other powers vying for control.   The Kingdom of Shekota, a neutral Sumoxan desert kingdom and the home of the Healing Church. A commercial power known for its spies, assassins, merchants, and diplomats.   Other countries include:

• Kingdom of Maruva: a vassal of the Empire of Shenerem, a cut-throat parliamentary kingdom divided between Pratasa and Aretans.
• Kingdom of Ashakahd: a large, heavily armed Halikvar kingdom with a lot of local democracy and nature cults. At odds with just about everyone else due to their unusual beliefs.
• The March Kingdom of Arashoka, a selkie vassal state known for its Karbeetles and merchants. Most secular with very mixed in culture and belief.
• The Holy State of Ayneva, an Ayshan kingdom ruled by a powerful and ancient cleric that is refashioning society in her image.
• The Kingdom of Ashavat, a small vassal kingdom stuck between the Aretans and the Halikvar.
• The Kingdom of Kiami, a small Halikvar kingdom known for its scholars, lawyers, and teachers - proud, ancient, but a bit down on its luck
• The Kingdom of Marsham, a mercantile Pratasa kingdom known for their bird-keeping druid-doctors and polite manners

Suneka is a land defined by a monolithic culture-religion. Democracy and technology are big trending topics here. Conformity is mandatory. Industry is vast. The Republics fight for progress and the future! By gunpowder and steel, the spirits shall bring harmony to the world.   Map of Suneka         There is but one religion in Suneka: The Suneka, the religion of harmony and unity. The Suneka is not about belief so much as it is about practice, culture, and conformity. Sunekans are taught that, if all the world becomes harmonious and united then all evil will be driven from existence. Only the Suneka can unify the world, they are told - one culture to bring all people together under. The Suneka generally teaches that spirits inhabit all things and that these spirits have an ideal harmonious state. Spirits who become perfect, who fill their cosmic role, are Gods. So, in society, should all people have their role and seek to embody it. In the Suneka, your job defines you - even your gender role is job-defined rather than associated with biological sex. Democracy is a perfect expression of a people acting as one; so are factories. These are the vehicles of Sunekan harmony and power.   There's one religion, sure, but there's a lot of Republics who want to fight to control that religion and lead the way to progress.   Major countries include:   The Republic of Akatlan, the most magical, rich, and technologically advanced of all republics. Akatlan is a quirky, nationalistic republic with a lot of wizards in powerful government roles. It is very into rational science (through a strict Sunekan religious lens, of course) and cultural superiority - foreigners are welcome as factory workers, but will never belong.   The Republic of Tuzek, the sharp militaristic republic where equality and unity is defined through mandatory military service. Tuzek is rowdy, bold, and industrious - their media promotes bravery, hard work, and common toil.   The Republic of Zitepec, home of cowboys, paladins, and elite priests. Home of the Sunekan top priesthood, Zitepec is all about opportunism - they have excellent clerks, priests, merchants, and diplomats. They also are known for their rowdy ranchers and cattlehands.   The Republic of Merishka, the evangelizers of the Suneka. Merishkans sail abroad, spreading the good word of the Suneka and seeding spies in distant lands as they sell their guns and cannons. Merishka has no time for the petty squabbles between republics - they press every onward to spread the Suneka at gunpoint and by missionary.   The Gatrev March is a hyper-consolidated military dictatorship standing against the chaos wilderness of neighboring Stildane. A society devoted entirely to monster-hunting and resisting dangerous magic; brutal at times, but efficient.   Minor countries and regions include:

• The Gwalan Republic, a wartorn republic known for their scrappy and rebellious attitude and vibrant populism
• The Republic of Matayan, a republic amidst a terrible civil war. Mountainous and once known for its great art and banking.
• The Oteka Republic is a sophisticated and wealthy trading republic currently on the verge of civil war and largely under the thumb of more powerful republics
• The Republic of Otopan, a small and poor republic known for its corruption and heresy
• The Ayeto Republic, a small republic - sleepy, agrarian, known more for its beer than its warriors
• Kiotza and Quikuza: occupied territory, where Sunekans are seeking to destroy local cultures of horse nomads and pastoralists but the local peoples are fighting back. Divided into 28 tiny republics formally - more of occupation zones really.
• Etska: a splintered realm of wealthy townships, known for their tendency towards heresy and incorrect religion - split between 5 main republics and 14 tiny ones.
• Exatlan: a mountainous river area, where Sunekans drift from the unity and become their own sub-cultures. A land of rapid waters, cold forests, and tall mountains.

  Inahng is a realm shaped by Architect-touched demigod emperors. Messy as expected. All about tradition, the ancient dead, and monuments to the old gods who rule the world (or this part of the world, anyways).   Map of Inahng         There are two main religions here:

• Nedira, the semi-monotheistic religion of supreme order, law, and justice. Nedira worships the Chimera (known locally as Tishal or Tishalla) as the ultimate creator God who judges the morality of the dead. Nedira teaches that everyone has a destiny and a fate, and that accepting one's lot in life with grace and kindness is the path to salvation. Nedirans revere the Lunar Goddess Jade Atharzen
• Metena, a semi-monotheistic religion that believes in one God with two equal-and-opposite aspects - The Chimera and Halcyon, body and soul. Metena rejects society and order as illusory in favor of a hyper-individualist embrace of life that accepts the material world but is not trapped by it. Metenans revere the Lunar Goddesses Theia the Liberator and Lily of Red.

Of the two, Nedira is entirely dominant while Metena clings to the Southern fringes.   Countries include:   The Empire of Calazen, the Empire that is all the world. Calazen occupies a massive swath of Inahng and controls much of the continent's politics. Every other kingdom exists either as a vassal of Calazen or an enemy trying to avoid being conquered. Calazen is ancient, covered in layers and layers of history that are exalted as proof of a divine past. Calazen is also hierarchical, ruled by sorcerer-nobles and ancient bloodlines; you have very little choice to escape the circumstances of your birth in the empire. The empire promises impartial law, security, and clear guidance in what to do; your compliance is expected.   The Kingdom of Sonisha, an old rival of the empire that is now a subject/ally of it. Sonisha is the dominant kingdom of the great mountains of the continent, higher than any in our world. Sonishans live in great mountain cities and sprawling mines; their culture is fatalistic and even grim at times. Sonishans have embraced wizardry more than other realms of the continent.   The Kingdom of Sikrek, a subject-ally of Calazen that is a little less bogged down in tradition. Ambitious, technologically innovative, and bordering on the Suneka.   Other countries include:

• The Kingdom of Tarasa, a subject-ally of Calazen that rules over a diverse array of cultures and religious offshoots. known for its focus on memory, archives, monuments, and museums as centers of religious and state authority. Supplier of Calazen's druids as well as many scribes.
• The Kingdom of Lirkarsa/Lirasha, a subject-ally of Calazen that is known for its clans - which can be quite rebellious against the empire or valuable allies. This realm also is known for its oracles and desire to read strange foreign things (like the bodies of monsters) for insight.
• The Kingdom of Shirmarsa, a parliamentary monarchy that rules over many pirate-infested islands. The Shirmarsans are bold merchants, sailors, and pirates who have long defied the Empire.
• The Sacred Republic of Rashem, a theocratic republic that is a subject-ally of Calazen. Really more of an autonomous province, Rashem is very Nediran and very into law - but has much looser class-based restrictins.
• The Kingdom of Ershikal, the militarized Southern subject-ally of Calazen - front line against the hated Metenans. Ershikal is a religious mess, with many local cults to Lunar Gods and warlock-patrons as well as the big two religions.
• The Kingdom of Kirama, a sprawling mountainous kingdom that pays tribute to Calazen with some autonomy. Kirama is famous for how they ritually bond people together (either as mutual spiritual partners or as extensions of a dominant person), rejecting strict definitions of the self. Kiraman tolerance for Hiku cults is a point of conflict, and currently the realm is facing a small civil war.
• The Kingdom of Rishon, a tributary-subject of Calazen, is a cold forested realm with its own semi-apocalyptic strain of Nediran religion. Rishon rejects class but seeks to have mage-judges weigh the value of people's lives, to prepare them for God's judgment.
• The Empire of Dimedsa is the beating heart of the Metenan religion. Ruled by a dual druid-paladin monarchy that seeks to lead the free peoples to overthrow Calazen and convert the Southern tropics to their faith.

  Garadel is a land of enchanting smiths but has a relatively short history. Trade, crafting, and intrigue abound! Larazel is a commercial mixture between Samvara and Garadel, a merchant's paradise torn between tradition and plurality. The two continents share similar elements, of magical item cartels, merchant-warriors, and a persistent tension between outside commerce and local resistance.   Map of Garadel and Larazel        

Garadel

  Garadel's major religions (which also act as commercial enterprises and military coalitions) include:

• The Zihari: The Zihari reject The Lunar Pantheon and all known Gods. To the Zihari, the world is slowly and inevitably dying since the True Gods (the only truly good things) left this universe to make a better one. The Zihari teach individualism, self-sufficiency, and skepticism of any supposedly "good" magical or spiritual thing that isn't internal. The Zihari teach that only through their teachings can souls escape the end-times, and the temples accumulate riches to better prepare their communities for that dark time before the final spiritual departure.
• The Sarakans: The Sarakan Church are a splinter-religion of the Zihari, who preach that the Fire Goddess Tira can save the world through renewal, forgiveness, and the care of her sacred flames. The Sarakans teach ascetecism but stockpile wealth to defend their sacred ways; the church greatly favors monks who infuse their bodies with magic.
• The Pratasam Temples: The Pratasa are a foreign religion from Samvara. Pratasam is an ancient semi-monotheistic religion that worships the primordial Goddess Halcyon. Pratasam is a hierarchical religion that teaches that their trained druid-scholars should lead society - though leaders also bear greater scrutiny. Pratasa people are taught to wear special bows to mark their faith and to honor the many inferior Gods and nature spirits that connect people to Halcyon. The Pratasa revere the Lunar goddess Lily of Red.
• The Hadina: a small sect that teaches that memory shapes the world, and that souls only live on through remembrance. They reject the spiritual world as magical illusions and mimicry, and they embrace the material, and teach that the dead can only truly live beyond death by building them new item-bodies and sustaining them through memory.

  Map of Garadek religion       Western Garadel is currently the detailed part of the continent. The major factions of West Garadel include:   The Kingdom of Ezekos, a Sarakan mountain kingdom known for its scholars, brewers, mages, and diplomats. Ezekos is based out of the magnificent city of Prozga, a magic labyrinth that has been repurposed into a place of learning and splendor. Ezekos is known to be reserved, erudite, and patient; its people are infamously into trivia.   The Sacred State of Nalastra, a rich theocratic kingdom led by the head of the Sarakan religion. A realm of individual expression and informal democracy, with a culture that encourages boldness and loud participation. A realm characterized as zealous, commercial, and proud.   The Kingdom of Linorn, a feudal Sarakan kingdom known for its sophisticated knights who ride giant Dire Hounds. A kingdom of honor and piety, less innovative and unified than Nalastra or Ezekos - and much more classist.   There is also Loanua, an island of magical wildlife that sits right between West Garadel and a rich trade route across the great sea. Loanua is a warzone between local bird-riding communities and Sarakan settlers from the mainland determined to convert and subjugate the locals.   The Riders of the Free Flame are nomads of the great ever-burning grasslands of the West. They are zealous Sarakans, who worship the landscape as the body of the Goddess who protects and renews the world - and a potent military force against anyone who would defile their plains.   The Blood of Karn, a network of hedonistic warriors trained in the arts of the berserker who are the closest thing to a master the mountains have. Mercenaries, wanderers, and guardians of the unclaimed places.   Turning East:

• The Kingdom of Inasa, a slender river kingdom that is perhaps the richest country in the continent. Inasa is the heart of the magic item trade and seat of the leadership of the Zihari temples. Inasa is known for their smiths and tinkerers, curious and serious minds competing for the lucrative positions at the top designing magic items. A pious realm, echoing with rhetoric of individualism.
• The Kingdom of Inozel, a rising Zihari empire determined to drive foreign faiths and merchants from the continent. Ambitious and unsettling even for other Zihari, the elites of Inozel are working to reforge their lands into a unified culture and state - "hammering away" the diverse faiths and tongues to better stand as the masters of Garadel. A recently formed realm, born from terrible wars of religion.
• The Kingdom of Zonostra, a hyper-pious Zihari kingdom known for its party culture and sense of national paranoia. Zonostrans are innovators, sailors and explorers who dabble in foreign arts - learning from the world to better survive it.
• The Kingdom of Semekel, a cold Zihari kingdom with a much of ascetic and reclusive attitude. Very into survivalism, druidism, martial arts, and memorials to the past. The odd duck of the Zihari, more interested in other forms of power than magic items and money.
• The Kingdom of Zeledo, Chief among the Pratasa kingdoms in Garadel. Zeledo is wealthy, run by druid-lords who hoard magic items and seek to shape the land with their life-giving magic. It is also strictly hierarchical.
• The Kingdom of Alaran, the Hadina outpost in Garadel. Known for their paladins, obsession with grave-tokens, states of altered "possessed" consciousness, and incorporation of ghosts into their leadership.

There are many other kingdoms, but those are the biggest ones.  

Larazel

  Map of Larazel's politics       Larazel's major religions include:

• The Zesheko, a reclusive xenophobic religion obsessed with purity of mind, body, and soul. They worship the Masked One as the supreme God, along with many spirits of water who fill out the pantheon. The Zeshem are taught to despise foreign merchants, especially Selkies, who want to profit off their goods and labor.
• The Pratasam Temples: The Pratasa are a foreign religion from Samvara. Pratasam is an ancient semi-monotheistic religion that worships the primordial Goddess Halcyon. Pratasam is a hierarchical religion that teaches that their trained druid-scholars should lead society - though leaders also bear greater scrutiny. Pratasa people are taught to wear special bows to mark their faith and to honor the many inferior Gods and nature spirits that connect people to Halcyon. The Pratasa revere the Lunar goddess Lily of Red.
• The Hadina: a small sect that teaches that memory shapes the world, and that souls only live on through remembrance. They reject the spiritual world as magical illusions and mimicry, and they embrace the material, and teach that the dead can only truly live beyond death by building them new item-bodies and sustaining them through memory.
• The The Followers of Elemeer: a religion dedicated to self-perfection and maximizing your usefulness to your community, that worships the Elem (sacred current that binds all life together, present in all water). Elemeer is a philosophy first and foremost, able to exist alongside other religious beliefs, but it has its own demands and associated gods - the key to salvation is Elem, but many Elemeer also believe in an associated pantheon that worships Halcyon and The Masked One as the land and sea.

Map of Larazel's Religions       Major countries include:   Holy Zeshema, the grand empire of Zesheko and the seat of its high priesthood. An empire very focused on controlling its lands and citizens; can be repressive at times, especially in areas of potential outside influence.   The March Kingdom of Kakoru, a Pratasam (specifically Rueka-Pratasa, meaning that they are more about cleanliness and doctors than lords) kingdom controlled by foreign merchants.   Other countries include:

• The Federation of Zarazuko, a Zeshem federation of tropical tribes that are known for their mercenary work.
• The Kingdom of Narleno, a Hadina kingdom known for its travelling judges and obsession with work ethic. Status as based in magic item communion.
• The Kingdom of Ipekel, a Hadina kingdom known for their fascination with the land - and putting ghosts and memorials into the land to connect the people and the earth. Unsurprisingly very interested in druidism.

Sonev is a divinely blessed and bountiful land torn asunder by authoritarian states. Ibith is its neighboring region, a cold forested land known for its large fauna.

Sonev

  Map of Sonev     Major religions/factions in Sonev include:

• The The Followers of Elemeer: a religion dedicated to self-perfection and maximizing your usefulness to your community, that worships the Elem (sacred current that binds all life together, present in all water). Elemeer is a philosophy first and foremost, able to exist alongside other religious beliefs, but it has its own demands and associated gods - the key to salvation is Elem, but many Elemeer also believe in an associated pantheon that worships Halcyon and The Masked One as the land and sea.
• The Navanan Church: The Navanans are a religion devoted to the semi-monotheistic worship of Halcyon, where the Church seeks to order society in Halcyon's desired hierarchy and to lead that society towards a utopian state of progress. Navana is very preoccupied with social ettiquette and social rituals not just as polite but as spiritually cleansing and ordering. Law-abiding and socially obedient behaviors create goodness, or so the Church teaches. The Navanan church reveres the Lunar Goddess Orchid of Blue.
• The Church of Ekaza: Ekaza is a religion that divides the world into good and evil. Good is whatever the flower-goddess Suwota says is good; evil is all that opposes her. Evil can only be cleansed through pain and obedience. Good must conquer all, for all that is not in service to Good perpetuates Evil.
• Mysteries of Esarat: The Esaratis are nomads in the cold plains to the Southeast. They worship the divine mystery and prioritize clan cohesion.

The major countries here include:   The Empire of Runeva - the elephant in the room here. Runeva is, to be simplistic, the Evil Empire. It is authoritarian, imperialistic, dogmatic, intolerant, invasive, prejudiced - hell, they are basically inventing racism. Runeva is the domain of the flower-goddess Suwota, who believes that only she can prevent the apocalypse by conquering the world. Just about everyone hates Runeva. The Church of Ekaza is synonymous with Runeva.   The Empire of Miuta is Runeva's greatest rival - a wealthy trading empire that brings together a stew of many cultures and peoples. Miuta is repressive as well, enforcing the Navanan church's beliefs on its people and often perpetuating local injustices to maximize efficiency and order.  

Ibith

    Map of Ibith     Currently, Ibith is a work in progress.   Ekraht is a volcanic dragon-themed corporate wonderland. An enormous super-volcano sits at the center of the continent, surrounded by a cloud of perpetual poison where the legendary dragon Kemegi lives. Down in lush riverlands below the volcano, draconic sorcerers helm huge corporations that travel the world in search of wealth.   Map of Ekraht     The main conflict in the Western half of Ekraht is less religious and more imperial.   The massive Empire of Zerua is the main player on this continent. Zeruans propogate their own religion, Kamada, but they aren't really as focused on evangelizing as they are on profiteering. The Zeruan Empire rules through its corporations, but are massive stock companies that operate across the continent (and even beyond!). Zerua itself is densely populated, with huge cities; poverty is rampant. The Zeruan emperor operates through a complicated system, but one of their main jobs is maintaining the balance of magic pollution and ritual cleansing necessary to not cause magic smog to begin killing people and even enabling the shambling dead to creep in.   The major opposition is the smaller Kingdom of Esedeta - but Esedeta is no underdog. Esedetans have access to powerful magical constructs, which they use to power wondrous and impossible machines. Esedeta seeks order, conquest, and direct martial power. They aren't interested in teaching their Keveket math-religion to others; they have little time for other cultures.   In the South, where it gets colder, there are the steppe nomads of Zalkara and the many forest kingdoms around and beyond it. These are united in their own religion, The Great Daraka - basically a series of lodges interested in heroism, dragon-slaying, and feats of bravery. The Darakans hate Esedeta, but also dislike the Zeruans (for being dragon-worshipping mage tyrants). But Darakans are really more into pillaging than liberating in practice.   Some other countries include:

• Kingdom of Umeda-Kokora: a small Zerua-aligned kingdom known for its focus on the balance of life and death. Their doctors are killers; they also seek to make their killers into doctors.
• Kingdom of Rakara: a small Zeruan client state absolutely dominated and pillaged by corporate greed. Yearns for revolution.

  Maradia is a land of magical construct-robots and fantastic machines, in an eternal silent class war. Nafena is a piractical nest of artistic doomsday cults.   Map of Nafena and Maradia     Map of Maradian-Nafenan Religion    

Maradia

The land of silent class war and magic machinery.   Maradian major factions are organized along religious lines. There are three "in" religions that are more or less cooperating against everyone else and competing with each other. And two "out" religions that are trying to muscle in and acquire Maradian technology.   Those three Maradian cooperative religions are:

• Keveket, original flavor Maradia. A religion that teaches that there is a mathematical or engineering solution to all problems, even ethical ones. Keveket sees intelligence and education as cardinal virtues, separating the superior people from the inferior people. Keveket is also terrified of change; they see themselves as the protectors of the world, safeguarding technology and machines that would cause "harm" if allowed to be used unsupervised.
• The Hierarchy of Heksala, the travelers, omen-readers, and cut-throat capitalists of Maradia. Heksalans believe that they can learn and earn their way to global power; conquering the world softly, without a shot fired. By doing this, they will, they teach, bring world unity under their one God (who is also many Gods) . They are big into the Lunar God Haru. Extremely ritualistic group, though.
• The Temple of Ishket, paranoid and bloodthirsty followers of the Lunar God Ishkibal who seek to help contain the dangerous magics of Maradia and cleanse the world of spiritual parasites (who enter the world through mirrors). Very into competition.

The outside Nafenan religions trying to encroach into Maradia are:

• The Singing Church of Orisha, the cult of the Lunar Goddess Hiku the Muse. Orisha believes that awareness shapes reality - so works to try and make everyone think the same things to manipulate that reality. It is a religion of mental conformity and controlled expression.
• The Final Choir of Vetevism, a doomsday religion seeking to create the ultimate culture, species, magic, and general super-beings to destroy this world and evolve it into its superior next stage.

The local religions see these foreign faiths as obviously evil and quite scary, but the local poor of Maradia are desperate enough to consider these outside forces as help.   Local Maradian states include Latashu Sovereignty, the most prosperous and developed Keveket state. A place of wondrous machines but absolute neglect for the majority of the population, where tradition and "safety" are prioritized over even basic humanity.  

Nafena

  Nafena is organized by religious coalitions - mostly two great feuding doomsday cults.

• The Singing Church of Orisha, the cult of the Lunar Goddess Hiku the Muse. Orisha believes that awareness shapes reality - so works to try and make everyone think the same things to manipulate that reality. It is a religion of mental conformity and controlled expression.
• The Final Choir of Vetevism, a doomsday religion seeking to create the ultimate culture, species, magic, and general super-beings to destroy this world and evolve it into its superior next stage.

    There is also a third religion, The Way of Brambleshanks, which is a cat-led religion that advocates for all people to find a social role and play it to their best ability. The Way is a fringe minority faith, though, weathering the onslaught of the doomsday cults.   Countries in Nafena include:   The Sacred Kingdom of Nomion, heart of the Vetevic choir. Here, the choir's power is absolute. It is a proud melting pot of cultures, pious and unyeilding. Marriage, dating, every element of social life is structured by expectations. It is often a subtle invasiveness, but it permeates society.   The Kingdom of Sokuwa is an ambitious, powerful, and innovative Vetevic kingdom. It is friendly than Nomion, eager to imitate foreigners and absorb their strongest traits; it is more adaptive, reaching out for foreign technologies and magical arts.   The Kingdom of Vysha, a wartorn and decentralized country stuck in a compromised state, loyal to both rival doomsday cults. Vysha is plagued by terroristic paladins determined to undermine the kingdom's authority, and both malevolent cults and benevolent communes blossom in the wreckage.