Map of Odenseye, circa Northern Year 710. Cartography by Whyswan Studios.
denseye is a continent located on the planet of Jǫrtúra. Isolated by wild and dangerous oceans, the plentiful lands have given rise to many civilizations, most of them fading into the sands of time in the millennia that have passed. Still, some have endured, but none longer than the mighty land itself.
The source of the name “Odenseye” is a subject of much debate, but the commonly accepted explanation is sourced from ancient mythology about the creation of the world by a powerful creature of the heavens called Odenskalla. It is said that the land took the form of his pupil, imitating the beauty to be found within his eyes. Another, similar story tells of how Jǫrtúra is the dislodged eye of Odenskalla, ripped from his skull in a war of the gods before time began.
Empires & Factions[]
Many great empires have risen and fallen over time, each new start built upon the bones left by the death of the last. Though details of the older Empires are scarce, the works of their hand are well known; roads, buildings and trade routes continue to be used, even millennia after the downfall of their initial builders. This infrastructure was critical to the formation of the feudal kingdoms that would become the Empires of men and elves, and such large areas of Imperial domination could not hope to exist without the enduring legacy of those who came before. Even Elysia, proud as they are of their own accomplishments, must admit that the size of their territory is owed to the ease of logistics that ancient roads and passes have granted them.
Fangirm[]
Fangirm is the largest and oldest Empire on Odenseye, stretching across the entirety of the central continental region. Formed slowly out of many united kingdoms, Fangirm quickly used their unique unity and domination of military strategy on both the land and the sea to build and expand. Though they were once strong, their might has eroded along with their borders in the modern day as they are continually tested by the Empire of Solvar and the Arbari Republic. Even their wild, Southern territory has begun to take on a will of its own, its people often expressing a desire to find their own destiny in the world, free of the Imperial crown that rules them from afar.
Elysia[]
Elysia is, for lack of a better term, the child of Fangirm. Commonly referred to as the Empire of the Elysian Fields, this Empire started as a collection of feudal kingdoms built by Fangirmish settlers north of the Serpent’s Spine Mountain range. These intrepid colonists quickly built their new homeland into a power that could rival their progenitor, before ultimately surpassing Fangirm in strength. They now stand as the most powerful Empire of Odenseye, wielding their military might and endless wealth to continue their domination of the world.
Se'Vikoral[]
The United Kingdoms of Se’Vikoral are the last collection of feudal kingdoms left on Odenseye, nominally ruled by a single king who resides in the southern port city of Khal’Dorpane. The true power, though, is left to the local rulers, each titled Marchioness, who oversee the day-to-day life of their towns. Se’Vikoral exists in its current state largely because of their willingness to pay tribute to Elysia, giving the great Empire tithes of gold and crops in exchange for the continuing safety of their rural nation.
Niralan[]
Niralan, commonly called the Nirali Empire, lies directly to the east of Elysia. Similarly formed from feudal demesne, the Nirali people have historically been more unified; even those fractured kingdoms were undyingly loyal to one another before finally uniting behind the singular crown of the Yviri Dynasty, following closely in Elysia’s footsteps to avoid being dominated by them. The Nirali are not natives of Odenseye, but the only known transplants from across the western ocean, refugees from an unknown calamity a millennia ago. Since then, they have built themselves into a militaristic society that seeks to conquer the north, ripping it from the confines of Elysia’s rule.
Solvar[]
Solvar is the youngest Empire on the continent, though its youth should not be mistaken for weakness. Inhabited primarily by the Solvari peoples, known commonly (and much to their chagrin) as the Sun Elves, their civilian government is largely a ruse to keep their people under control. Their true power lies within the ranks of the Mezideen, an army of highly trained soldiers that alternate between defending territory, taking land from Fangirm, and mercenary work to enrich their homelands. They are also known to crusade against their own people should they become questioning of the Mezideen’s superiority.
Arbari Republic[]
The Arbari republic is home to the Arbari peoples, a forest-dwelling race of Wood Elves who live within giant mushrooms that are either attached to the ground or moored to the side of gargantuan Sapa trees. They revere nature as the truest spiritual connection one can have to creation, and such a worldview has instilled within them a solemn respect for life in every form. They are the first true democracy on Odenseye, though the voting power is held by representatives from each district of their nation. They are mostly protected by the Solvari and the Mezideen, as their races have been intertwined in the realm of politics and defense for many centuries. The Solvari are also quite fond of the Arbari's disdain for Fangirm, and the latter Elven race serves well as a useful thorn in the side of the human empire to the Republic’s north.
Alva Islands[]
The Alva Islands are home to the Alvari peoples, or High Elves (so named for their tall stature and grand appearance), a reclusive race that prefers defense and isolationism over territorial ambitions. Their Empire is not one in the traditional sense; rather, it is a centralized government, ruled by an Imperator (a localized name for an Emperor). Their culture revolves around mutual aid and support and, as far as the world at large can tell, they hold no territorial ambitions or desire for conflict beyond the defense of their own borders.
Dwarves[]
The Empire of the Golden River is the name of the single Dwarven nation, ruled by the Maradian Dynasty in their capital city of Dol Marad. A remarkably insular people, they are the sole beings with the ability to wield the power of runic magic and are able to use their sacred runes for everything from mining work to healing wounds. They are an unspeakably rich peoples, selling access to their runically enhanced Nasgadh armor, which is enchanted at in the great forges of Runegate and transported through underground tunnels for sale in Dol Marad. This is, in fact, how the Empire earned their name, for the passage between Dol Marad and Runegate is a river of riches. The Dwarves claim no territory on the surface, seeking domination over the deepest places of Jǫrtúra that they believe are their birthright.
Lunari[]
The Last Tribes of the Lunari (Moon Elf) people make their home on the islands to the west of Fangirm. While the name of the archipelago is debated, the traditional Lunari name is “Ya’Ma’Li”, the “forests of refuge”. The Lunari were driven from their homelands, situated in the forests of the Gola Peninsula, by the relentless expansion of the Fangirmen in the early days of that Empire. Now, the Lunari use their skill in seafaring to both protect themselves and provide for their people, operating under the ruling hand of their sacred astronomers while the shadow of Fangirm looms ever over their head.
The Wardens[]
Making their home on the Isle of the Adamant, the Wardens are an enigmatic group of creed-bound warriors that assist in the defense of the innocent and hunt down those who commit the crime of rape. While their philosophy is deeply steeped in history, all one must understand of the Wardens is that they should be respected and feared. Their Capital city, if one could call it a city, is called the Bulwark, a castle built deep into the highest peak of their island. From the safety of their walls, they oversee the safety and security of the few non-wardens who call the Isle their home.
Climate[]
The climate of the continent varies wildly by location, but the air tends to be colder throughout the year in the northwest (controlled by Se’Vikoral), where shadowbeech forests huddle to retain heat and share the little energy they can gather in the winter. Many typical woods are found in the central region of the north (controlled by Elysia), breaking into plains and hilly meadows near the eastern border. The northeast (controlled by Niralan) is warmer, though only marginally so, and the landscape tends to be dominated by evergreen forests, small fjords, and many clear-watered creeks and rivers.
The middle region of Odenseye (Fangirm) is typically warmer and more arid, owing to markedly less mountainous terrain, but the east and south of the Fangirmish Empire tends towards deciduous forests and a noticeably moister climate.
The southwest (Solvar) is typically arid, rocky desert, but the areas around its rivers are plentiful and green. To its east, in South Fangirm, the land is far harsher, being buffeted by polar winds, and its wild taiga is inhabited by strong mountain men and indomitable cities of wood and stone, their own independent spirits.
The Last Tribes of the Lunari inhabit the subtropical islands to the east of Odenseye’s main shore, eking out an existence against the will of the Fangirmen. They survive on their skill as seafarers, fishing and trading to keep themselves alive and safe against the hungry power on the mainland. They enjoy a mild climate, though storms are not infrequent, and the rough seas surrounding their refuge help to protect them from invaders.
On the Alva islands to the southwest there are as many jungles as there are bountiful plains and steep mountains. Practically continents of their own, the lands of this temperate archipelago are defined by largely mild weather and predictable seasons, though earthquakes, landslides, and river floodings are an ever-present threat in the volcanically active areas near the center.
The outer islands are similar to Se’Vikoral, though they are more prone to ocean-related weather effects, and the northern winds can often cut through even the thickest of furs to send a chill down the spine of any who inhabit them.
The climate of Odenseye, in the end, is varied and ever-changing as one travels; while the list above is a decent description of what one could expect from the weather at any given time, it should not be taken as anything but a general idea of what these nations experience in their most populated areas.
Excerpt from Gaius Truvani, Royal Historian of Elysia[]
If one ever needs a definition for turmoil, they need look no further than the shores of the great continent of Odenseye. The changing seasons grind all who reside within its grand empires to a shared fate of dust, crushed by wars and nature alike. Even so, the legacy that our ancestors have carved upon the mountains and the valleys of our great homeland will endure the buffeting force of the sands of time.
From the arid yet bountiful hills of Ahar’Tarim in the south to the snow-capped mountains of the north, the land that the architects of our nations have earned with blood and toil has been used to the greatest of effects, building the Empires of Odenseye into formidable giants of wealth and power; foremost among these is my home, the Empire of the Elysian Fields, carved by generations into the glistening gem that now shines upon all the known world.
Odenseye, as we have found in centuries past, is rich in resources for those with the willpower required to exploit them. Elysians, for our part, set our eyes upon the gifts of the northern earth; so plentiful is its metal that every guard in our Capital wears plate; so bountiful is the soil that the storehouses of the royals could never hold its whole yield; so long are the rivers that our boats need never stop on their merchant journeys to the land of our forefathers in the south.
We are one, however, of an Imperial quadrumvirate. Fangirm and Solvar exist in the South, while the Eastmen of Niralan serve as the only challengers to Elysia’s rightful place as the lords of the north. A few others try to survive, and still others seek to become something of their own, but always do they stand together against the tide, each of them one of many enduring against the assault of the land and the sword alike.
Odenseye is a dangerous, dark forest, ever stalked by hungering phantoms who wish our lives exhausted at their haunting command; one will find no more rapid demise, in my estimation, than if they would choose to forgo the protection of the Empires, and thus the combined might that would stand as a bulwark against those who mean harm. In our modern world, there is no choice but to count oneself among the Nations, for the only other option is an assured death.
Odenseye, for those who choose safety, is a place of many cultures, inhabited by many races, each with their own traditions and ethnicities. The maps of our Empires show blocks of homogeneous territory, yet a stroll through the market stalls of any capital will tell you that such carefully laid borders are nothing more than sacredly held delusion, an insane will to extend the reach of the most powerful cultures to the ends of Jǫrtúra itself. Elysia has accepted that we are a varied people, and we have realized the folly in walling ourselves off to the details of those we call our countrymen. We have chosen to rise above the old ways, and our strength is drawn from the combined might of all of our people.
I must note, to be comprehensive, that there are some places that are wild and untamed, choosing obscurity to the world surrounding them, rather than the security our great Empire can bring them. Though settlements like Alsara and Flokil are inhabited by those of the nations, they hold no allegiances to their former homelands, only their newly chosen island of refuge. They are independent spirits to their oft-untimely ends. Still, even they will have a legacy on the pages of history.
-Gaius Truvani, Royal Historian