Vahir

Blood Reigns Over Westeros: A Song of Ice & Fire Story (Accepting Player Proposals)

So... Willing to take on fresh meat?

The Last Days (Sci-Fi Adventure)

Hm. I take it player characters would be among the refugees on Nioneides?

The Mythlands - High Fantasy Collaborative Worldbuilding

@Vahir

Did you happen to read and of my posts or have anything to say about my contribution? Or are you ignoring it because it is in the wrong area?

@ELGainsborough

I tend to deliberately ignore WIPs as a principle. Don't take it as me being critical; I just find I get a much better impression of a sheet after it's finished, when it's more cohesive.

The Mythlands - High Fantasy Collaborative Worldbuilding

Edit it as you like. It belongs to all of us equally.

The Mythlands - High Fantasy Collaborative Worldbuilding

So... Any other posts incomming?

The Mythlands - High Fantasy Collaborative Worldbuilding

I for one use GIMP and paint everything by hand.

The Mythlands - High Fantasy Collaborative Worldbuilding

The Kingdom of the Merinteri

Racial Composition

The Marinteri is one of the most diverse regions in the world, due to its long history and central position. Sitting at the heart of the Mythlands means that every major land trade route passes through, while neighbors have conquered it more times than history remembers. Because of this nearly every race can be found in the Marinteri, and no particular species has a clear numerical majority. Notably, most polities are led by orcs, who have through countless wars set themselves up as the region's aristocracy.

Geography

Map

The Marinteri is the central region of the world, the valley centered around the inner seas at the heart of the Mythlands. Mountains surround its sides, and all rivers find themselves going to the Three Seas eventually. The land is well suited to agriculture, being fertile and forming gentle slopes which are easily tilled, and with little in the way of a winter.

Despite these natural blessings, the land is sparsely populated, mainly due to the endless wars which ravage the region, as every neighbor uses it as a battleground and warlords war each other for patches of land. And terrible monsters lurk in the untended wilderness, werebeasts and goblins and worse things. As one approaches the three seas, these beasts grow ever more prevalent, and only fortified settlements survive on the shores. The island of Corinsul, at the heart of the Three Seas, is a cursed and wretched place, shrouded in myth and shunned by any sane voyager. Only the mad or desperate dwell there; amid the ruins that cover the island. Nameless terrors stalk through the ruined cities, and worse still misfortune dogs every step one takes there. Children born on the island are deformed monstrosities. It is not a place for mortals to tread.

The foremost cities of the region are Galenave, Midvar, and Theress, in order of size. These cities lie on the north-south trade route which crosses the entire world. The land is dotted with ruins, leftovers of bygone civilizations which have long since faded away. These ancient cities are said to be haunted and are generally shunned as well, a caution which is reinforced by the beasts that infest them. Still, adventurers do occasionally defy the warnings and scavenge from them, with... varying results.

Politics

Theoretically, the Merinteri is unified kingdom, under the reign of the orcish ruler High King Hedfric, whose father conquered the entirety of the region some twenty years ago. But this kingdom is a sham. In reality, every warlord with fifty men rules as independent sovereigns, ignoring missives from the capital of Galenave and warring among each other. So in reality there are as many countries in the Merinteri as there are men with swords. It is a land trapped in perpetual war, against outsiders and against itself. Its people have no sense of collective identity, and only stop fighting each other to oppose the invasions of neighbors. More than one ruler has abandoned governing this famously ungovernable people in disgust.

The most important other sovereign in the region is King Baldren, who rules the north, including the important trade city of Galmar, from the legendarily impregnable fortress at Midvar. He is forever embroiled in conflict with the human princes of Theress, which in reality is not a principality but an oligarchy controlled by the city's wealthiest merchants. This bloody rivalry has grinded on since the cities were first forced to coexist, and, it is said, will continue to grind on long after the end of days comes and the rest of the world crumbles to dust. To the west all semblance of nationhood fades away, and every township rules itself apart from the rest.

History

It is said that the Merinteri is the oldest part of the world, where the gods first set foot when they created the world. In the days of old, it is told, they ruled from the sacred island of Corinsul. What is clear is that the region was once as great as it is today pathetic; one needs only gaze at the ancient ruins that blanket it to appreciate its historic power. A great civilization ruled every reach of the Mythlands from their golden cities on Corinsul. To maintain their empire, they created other races to serve as their slaves, such as the orcs, who were meant as soldiers for their legions.

But all things go to dust. Filled with hubris and blind to their own ignorance, they weaved forbidden magics. As could be expected, things did not turn out as planned. The terrible monsters that today roam the Mythlands were born then, and caused unimaginable devastation across the world. The slave races saw a chance to revolt, and rose up against their cruel masters everywhere. That long lost people were killed in such droves that they were completely exterminated, never to be seen today. Such was the reach of the destruction that even the name of that empire and its builders was lost to history.

After that, the Merinteri became a haunted and savage land. It became a prize to be fought over by war thirsty neighbors, whose armies trampled across it to reach their enemies. It has become a land of death, where lives are short and hard, where any morning can be your last.

Culture

It is difficult to define a Merinterish culture, as there is not truly a merinterish people, only an assorted mess of different intermixed peoples. They are notably hardy as a whole, mostly due to the fact that never ending warfare and ceaseless monster attacks force them to adapt or die. They are survivors, stone hearted by nature because in this land to show weakness is to invite death. They are suspicious of outsiders; some places- mainly the major cities along the trade routes- are welcoming, but venture into the countryside and you'll find unfriendly welcomes and thinly veiled hostility. They have learned, after all, that outsiders bring death.

While, again, the major cities are quite wealthy, the Merinteri as a whole is wretchedly poor. Any wealth is soon pillaged by opportunistic warlords. They cling to life in fortified settlements, eking out what lives they can in this unforgiving land. What trade they do make (which is not much, as most sensible traders shun the notoriously dangerous parts) is mostly of grain and timber.

Foreign Relations

N/A

The Mythlands - High Fantasy Collaborative Worldbuilding

Some details on orcs in general...

Orcs

Societal Role

Orcs tend towards martial pursuits, due to their strength, their restlessness, and their discipline. That is not to say that all orcs are soldiers; many make their living peacefully. But they tend to view common tasks as menial and below them, and gravitate to wars. They are the soldiers of the Mythlands: orcish mercenaries are used in most armies. These mercenary companies are wealthy, famous, and feared for their valiance in battle and incorruptibility. Most orcs leave home to join these bands as youths. Even if they later settle into peaceful ways of life, this is viewed as an important step in coming of age.

Physiology

It’s pointless to mince words: orcs are ugly by any conventional standard. Standing taller than humans and with a brutish, tusked face, it is easy to take them for stupid brutes. But orcs are just as intelligent as humans, in their own way. They are strong, of course. A typical orc is stronger than two typical humans put together.

They are notable in that they are a unisex species. That is to say, there are no female orcs. They reproduce with females of other races, mostly humans. The resulting offspring are always orcs in turn. This dependence on other races is why they have not committed genocide on humanity already, which in truth they would have been capable of three times over in history. These opportunities come from the simple fact that when it comes to war, orcs reign supreme, as both soldiers and generals. Countless empires have been carved out by orcish warlords, and even today many principalities are ruled by orcs who have taken their thrones by force.

Orcs display a very tribal social structure. While they may appear unruly and ungovernable to outsiders, they are utterly deferential to those they view as leader. They are also not as apt to possess magic as other races, though orc sorcerers do exist.

Habitat

Orcs are a very sturdy people and thrive in regions lesser races might consider inhospitable. They thus be found nearly everywhere. They despise the ocean, however, and shy away from large bodies of water, due to their natural inability to swim.

The Mythlands - High Fantasy Collaborative Worldbuilding

@BlackBishop
Would that not be 4 nations?
Or was there no limit on the number?

Edit: Building on that question; how large of a landmass is reasonable?

@Zhaliora

You mean the size of your nation? Youc can make it what you want, if it makes sense. If you want to take half the continent to make a big empire, okay, as long as it fits with the world. Just be considerate to leave space for other people.

The Mythlands - High Fantasy Collaborative Worldbuilding

So I am wondering if there is a deadline for our input? Further are their any restrictions other than the already created deities?

@ELGainsborough

I'm aiming to have the world built and ready by the end of the month, so if there is a deadline that would be it. It really depends on how fast we get things done however.

I don't believe there's anything else to restrict at this point. Feel free to add in what you will, as long as it obeys the basic framework set up. if you're not sure about anything in specific just shoot me a PM.