Locations: Chief Features of Nordika
Locations: Chief Features of Nordika
Amazonia: In some ways, this is a blend of the civilization of
classical Olympia with the savagery of the Wandering Roams and Titania, populated
primarily by scattered fortified settlements of a sub-race of Lapi. Amazonian
Lapis are larger and stronger than most, and their society is dominated by the
females rather than the males. Although foreigners have romantic notions of
Amazonia being ruled by a beautiful warrioress queen from her mountain citadel
in the capitol city of Valkyria, in truth Amazonia is mostly barren steppes
dotted with isolated settlements that vary greatly in their local customs. By
outside standards, the most hospitable and civilized Amazonian settlement is
the port city of Dianus, located on the shores of the Lake of Langour, which
sports impressive architecture that shows some Olympian influence.
Bosch: This is one of the more infamous Forbidden Zones on Sinai,
and there is evidence that it has grown in size. Bosch is nestled within an
oddly formed mountain range that separates many of the nations of Nordika from
each other. Within Bosch, magic runs wild, and those who dare enter it are in
supreme danger of having their forms and minds warped by the chaotic powers that
dominate here. On occasion, when magic grows strong, monsters come forth from
Bosch and do battle with the surrounding nations.
Chronotopia: This is one of the most technologically advanced
nations of Sinai -- on the surface, at least. Due to dedicated commitment to
maintenance -- to a nearly religious level of devotion -- Chronotopia has a
high number of steam-powered devices. Gears and clocks are hallmarks of
Chronotopian design.
Gallis: This is the homeland of the Gallees and Gallahs, as well
as a population of Kujakus. The Gallisians are big on appearances, and while
their cities may be dirty and dingy, and they may treat the underclasses in
horrible fashion, Gallis is also a great patron of the arts.
Kroz: This land of scattered Principalities and wilderness is best
known for the underground ruins that are rumored to still hold treasure -- and
plenty of traps and monsters. It draws many an adventurer seeking fame and
glory in the "dungeons" underneath the surface.
Lake of Langour: This inland sea touches the land of Olympia.
There are legends of strange magical effects deep beneath its waters ... and of
an "Underground Sea" that shares its boundaries, beneath the ground.
Langour Wilds: This region gradually blends into the Wandering Roams,
but is generally more fertile and vegetated than the tundra and desert that
characterizes the northeastern expanse. There are assorted villages and
city-states dotting these lands, without any particular identity as a nation
as such. Although there are in fact many fiefdoms with distinct boundaries and
their own cultures and history, most map-makers just sloppily mark off this whole
area as the "Langour Wilds", since it doesn't house any major cities or landmarks
of great importance to the rest of the world.
Northern Sea: Also known as the "Vykarin Sea" and the "Sea of Ice".
This sea forms the northern border of Sylvania and Tursdi, and cuts into
the Vykarin Wastes.
Olympia: This vaguely Greco-Roman land was once the heart of a
now-fallen empire. Its capitol, Parthos, was a major city once,
a cultural center of much of Sinai,
ages ago, and the birthplace of the modern understanding of magic. Now, it is
a place of beautiful ruins, and a popular tourist attraction for the wealthy.
Sinha: These mountainous steppelands of the Sinh Range are largely
deserted, but home to semi-nomadic bands of a more feral offshoot of the Kattha,
known collectively as the "Sinha". The only permanent settlement of note is
the port city of Tsun-Lao, a village of earthen buildings close to the border
with Olympia, and often a staging point for adventurers seeking to mount expeditions
into the Wandering Roams.
Sylvania: This tattered "nation" is more a loose collection of
petty kingdoms, having fallen apart long ago in the aftermath of the War of
the Necromancer Kings. It is a place where dark magicks still lurk in the
wilderness, and its people live in fear and superstition. Most of Sylvania has
fallen to Gallisian conquest, and Rephidim and its allies recognize the lands formerly
associated with Sylvania to now be part of Gallis. Those Sylvanians still living there
may see things otherwise, however.
Titania: This isn't really so much a "nation" as the stomping
grounds of the barbarian tribes known collectively as Titanians. These
brutes are as interested in technology as Chronotopia, but have an entirely
different approach to it. Any Titanian worth his salt is highly skilled at
getting a machine to work better by smacking it in the proper space with a
well-aimed hammer blow. Titanian machines are known to be big, loud, and to
frequently explode.
Tursdi: This small feudal state is more medieval in bent than many
of its neighbors, and -- like Sylvania -- is largely covered by wilderness,
with only pockets of civilization to be found here and there.
Vykarin Wastes: This expanse of tundra to the north is roamed by
the nomadic Vykarin. It also is the site of an ancient First Ones site where
the true origins of sky islands was discovered.
Wandering Roams: These open territories to the east of Nordika are
mostly devoid of plant life, except for a few stubborn scraggly bushes here
and there. Craters mark the ground, and nomadic bands of various odd species
head to and fro in search of supplies.
Back to Locations: Section 4.2.1.2