World of Ord Basic Info

Ord
A developing world of many races and cultures, sprung forth from a missing homeland and living in the second cycle of a world older than was known.

Granpeis
A north-western continent made up of two countries, Terrafreis to the west and Lordhelm to the east, with the mysterious untamed island of Longdran to the north-east. Terrafreis may be the newest-formed country in Ord, and is steadily growing in population and notoriety, with the port town of Portdecomte being the center of a world of trade. Lordhelm is both its ally and enemy, ready to assist when the continent is threatened, but just as ready to pounce at times of weakness. Despite this, war between the two countries is fairly rare, as both desire to be sources of commerce rather than combat. The presence of magic is strong here, and as such the variety of races abound- elves, dwarves, halflings, centaurs, and dragonborn all live here.

Longdran is an untamed wilderness, populated by coastal-dwelling tribals who worship mysterious gods and creatures of the island. This is a common home for dragonborn, the progeny of the various dragons living in the wilderness. Terrafreis and Lordhelm may both aim to conquer it, but only time will tell what becomes of the strange land.

Ancient ruins exist in both countries and the mysterious isle, older beyond knowing with scripts illegible even with magic. Within these ruins exist treasure and creatures both great and terrible.

There are few dedicated fighting forces on this continent, with self-defense being left to militias, larger communities relying on city guards. When the time comes to war or defense, soldiers are conscripted from the commoners and armed by their lords, usually with crossbows and spears, as well as large shields used to provide cover instead of active self-defense. Mercenary bands wander from town to town, providing assistance and direct combat. Usually the greatest warriors in a region are the lords and nobles, who are able to afford good armor, weapons, and training.

The only real exception are the Abyssal Gazers, who dwell in the south eastern tip of Terrafreis. Roughly sixty years ago, a meteor fell from the sky and struck the earth, creating a massive crater that filled quickly with ocean water. From this meteorite come a regular stream of hellspawn and nightmare creatures, which either emerge from the flooded crater or swim out to the ocean and come back to terrorize the coast. It is ever-constant duty of the Abyssal Gazers to combat these threats. They are headquartered at their fortress of Duahl Vorhae, near the crater, though their organization is spread over the coast of the entire continent, ready to do combat with whatever crawls out from the ocean.

Vallhachen
The central continent of the world, from which many men claim direct descent from the ancient humans. A land of many small counties, baronies, and clans, many of which are regularly at war and aiming to unite the continent under their rule. This is the least magically-inclined land of Ord, being the home of orcs, goblins, and hobgoblins, with the ever-elusive race of gnomes being the most magical, and even then few men ever see one in their life. This lack of natural magic increases the reverence of those who draw on either their inner strength, such as a monk, or who call power from greater forces, such as clerics or warlocks.

The geography of Ord is its own greatest enemy, as it is separated from the ocean by great mountains that persist and continue within the interior of the continent, making travel outside one's home country difficult not only because of the terrain, but the wildlife and criminals that live in the mountains. The rivers commonly act as borders between lands, as any great stretch of land will be fought over if only just to increase the size of the border.  Due to the fractured nature of Vallhachen, there are only two notable powers-

Devolken
Not quite a country and not just a clan, Devolken symbolizes what Vallhachen may strive to become in the future- a collective of people with their own proud heritages and differences who both respect and admire others within the whole, and the pursuit of a greater good. The strong unity of these people allow them to live a fairly peaceful life, making Devolken a great source of crafted goods, grain and produce, and arts. Furthermore, few dare to attach any clans or lands within the Devolken collective at the risk of bringing its entire wrath onto them. Despite this peaceful life, Devolken warriors exist, known as the War Striders- free-roaming mercenaries who cross battlefield upon battlefield, with the signature look of the traditional Devolken half-plate and colorful clothes of mixed bright colors and fantastic facial hair, and wielding greatswords such as zweihanders and claymores.

Krom-Hellen
An archipelago ruled over by a single jarl, the Krom-Hellen have decided that the only winning move is to not play- in that they do not seek to increase their own territory, but raid the coastal lands on the north banks of Vallhachen, specializing in hit-and-run tactics that leave a town with just enough to allow them to become raidable once more when the next year comes around. Their slowly decreasing lack of resources is becoming more apparent, though, and they are seeking to become both a mercantile and mercenary people. Their warriors are as capable of sailing and swimming as they are of fierce combat- the majority of their soldiers wear hauberks(chain shirts/mail) and wield light weaponry with small shields, save for their berserkers who wear no armor and charge into battle wielding great weapons, fighting many foes at once.


Tor-Magron
The most dangerous land in the world, a great continent spanning most of the globe covered in deserts, jungles, savannahs, and abandoned cities. A wild land whose hardships breed some of the mightiest warriors, unless they die young. It is the home of an uncountable number of wild beasts and creatures, with all sorts of dire and giant beasts, dinosaurs, and anything else that might mercilessly slay the weak. In fact, as time passes, most sentient races seem to be leaving the continent faster than they're being born there- gnolls, the porcine race of orcs, and the various tribal animist barbarian races. The few that remain usually live along the coast, as it is easy to live on the bounty of the sea and money from traders and travelers. Among the few who choose to live in the mainland are the mighty barbarian tribes, and the various races of Beast-Men, who are half-human and half-animal themselves.

Zhong-Guo
A continent east of Vallhachen, with a coast covered in tall mountains and which rarely allows travelers to pass in or out, barring the monastic orders that are common within their realms. Zhong-Guo is covered in grasslands, hills, valleys, and mountain ranges, with great rivers that pass through the lands. At present, there are many small kingdoms with a somewhat tenuous grasp of peace and alliance, but which may shatter at some point given enough pressure.