Continent of Kalesten

Here's where to discuss world information. Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Post them on this board. Many articles have a corresponding discussion thread, so if you want more information on a race or nation find the index stickied at the top of the board. Otherwise, feel free to post new topics for questions and such.
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Rules of Development
  1. Keep in mind that this world may be published in one way or another. I encourage you not to integrate any concepts of a story or RPG world that you are creating and intend to publish independent of Aserra.
  2. Any ideas you use must be original, as if I publish this game, I would not like to get slapped with copyright infringement suit for a rip-off I didn't catch.
  3. Do not model any nations or cultures entirely after existing nations and cultures in the real world. You may use aspects of any existing cultures, though, and it would be best to mix things up too.
  4. There is a need to be reasonable with cultures, abilities, and the like that are created for Aserra. I don't want nations that are the epitome of perfection, or an entirely unreasonable set of abilities that causes them to be sensationally over powered compared to others of their race.
  5. I must give approval for anything major created by other players, so until I tell you that I'm ok with that, don't automatically assume that it'll be canon.
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Beon Forest

Post by World of Aserra » Sat Jan 12, 2013 8:01 pm

Beon Forest
An ancient forest that has been preserved by the Nafod and Eain’Idayn that inhabit it, the Beon Forest lays between the borders of Belvon and the Gayntos Mountains. In recent decades, the forest has faced destruction from Belvonese incursion as the industrial nation attempts to harvest its resources and expand their borders to the mountain. The natives of the forest have fought to protect their land, but perhaps not as fiercely as the Fayl’Idayn did for the Ardir. Concessions have been made, allowing Belvon to advance their borders by increments, but so far the ground lost has not be substantial.

The Beon is home to predominantly deciduous trees in a mild temperate climate similar to France and Spain. Many tribes of Dra’nafod are bound to the trees in this forest, and there are numerous Ochae’nafod tribes bound to native wildlife. Along with these two groups of Nafod, a couple herds of Eain’Idayn have made homes for themselves in this forest. While the Nafod tribes settled here in ancient times, not long after their creation, the Eain’Idayn came with Idayn travelers. While the Idayn moved eastward to eventually settle in the Ardir, their Eain’Idayn companions settled in open lands throughout the west of Kalesten. Eventually, they were driven out of the Heartland by humans, and the remaining herds made their homes throughout the western grasslands and the Beon Forest.

As Belvon grew into an industrial nation, they required wood and coal to burn for the engines, and mountains to mine their metals from. As the mountains lay across the forest, it made sense to expand eastward. The Belvonese government is not as willing to negotiated with the natives of this forest as Kosony had been with the Ardir. Instead, the Belvonese treat the Eain’Idayn and Ochae’nafod as abominations and lesser life-forms. Otherwise, Ochae’nafod or Dra’nafod are considered remnants of ancient cultures that have no place in the modern world, thus are doomed to die out in Belvon eyes. While those on the front lines are aware of the existences of these fantastic races, most Belvonese citizens reject the very notion of their existence. The soldiers and engineers on the front lines believe that it is better if their countrymen maintain this belief. After all, as far as they’re concerned, the creatures of the Beon Forest will soon be extinct.

To combat intrusion, the Nafod have influenced the flora and fauna to become more aggressive. Ochae’nafod and Eain’Idayn work together to ambush scouting parties and raid campsites in the dead of night. For now, the Belvonese have found these raids too much of a nuisance to keep sending men in, and have found ways to work around the natives of the forest. However, they are continuing to scheme and find ways to get the resources they need and rid the world of what they consider to be primitive races.
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North Kalesten: Notable Places

Post by World of Aserra » Sun Jan 13, 2013 5:06 pm

Many notable places in north Kalesten that lie outside of national borders. Major forests, mountain ranges, and unclaimed lands are defined here in single entries. These entries cover terrain, inhabitants, climate, histories, and national influences. Ertian and south Kalesten places will have separate threads.
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Neutral Zone

Post by World of Aserra » Sun Jan 13, 2013 5:07 pm

Neutral Zone
Stretching from the west bank of the Kaius river to the Polnal River on the west coast. It is bordered on the south by the Empire of Kalestine, which has made some encroachments into the zone, and the small nation of Isbany that focuses purely on defense. It is mostly open prairie.

This zone acts as a buffer from the raiding parties of the barbarian tribes of Kaius. There are some bold villages that dare exist in this region, but they don't often last more than one or two generations before they are either wiped out, or leave. The barbarians don't live here either, but make journeys into the region to hunt or raid. Kalestine forces are slowly pushing their way in, and the Emperor of Kalestine has every intention of one day conquering the barbarians.
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The Ardir

Post by World of Aserra » Sun Jan 13, 2013 5:08 pm

The Ardir
The large Ardir Forest is a nigh-on-impenetrable barrier between northern Kalesten and the Ertian sub-continent. Located at the southern end of the Kosony-Ertian isthmus, the forest sits atop the high plateau on upward-sloping land. To the north of the forest is the nation of Kosony, the border between forest and countryside marked by a scar across the land left untouched after logging that varies between ten and thirty miles in width. The Kosonian farmlands to the north have created a make-shift border fence of wood, stone, and various other materials on each property, which are simply just to mark the boundaries of their properties and try to keep wildlife out. The fences extend most of the length of Kosony’s southern border, aside from a few uninhabited places.

To the south are the sheer cliff walls of the Ertian Plateau, rising around 4,000 feet above the sub-continent, almost making it seem as if Ertia were a knife prying up the land the Ardir sits upon. It is nearly impossible to travel up and down these cliffs without making a long, treacherous climb. Waterfalls from the Ardir’s season snowmelts and natural springs tumble over the cliffs and source two of Ertia’s major rivers; the Useru and Najoja rivers.

The forest is predominantly coniferous, with some deciduous trees in the northern, lower regions of the forest. Due to the high altitude, there is heavy snowfall in the southern end of the forest from late Autumn to early Spring, leading to seasonal streams and creeks. There are no rivers within the forest, but aside from snowmelts, there are some springs scattered throughout the woods that source year-round creeks, streams, and ponds. There is also a small lake called Tianys (tee-AH-nes) near the heart of the forest, sourced mostly from snowmelts and rain.

Inhabitants
The Ardir is inhabited by the Fayl’Idayn, most notably, and the Ochae’nafod and Dra’nafod. The Fayl’Idayn live in tree-top villages scattered throughout the forest. Their homes are built within the trees themselves, in massive gall-like structures coaxed to grow from the trunks of trees through entreating the spirits inhabiting the trees. Residences are connected by rope and wood bridges spanning between trees.

Fayl’Idayn villages are independent for the most part, but united through a council of elders who meet every few years to discuss matters of the forest. There is also barter between the villages for food supplies and other items, as one village may be in a region where a certain food grows best, or another village may have an especially skilled weaver, or other such commodities. There is no war between these different villages, but there may be minor feuds and mutual dislike between one community or another, due to something in their past that has upset them. It can be something as petty as an elder’s daughter marrying a man from a different village that he didn’t like, or one village giving more lenience to humans than other villages would prefer. These conflicts rarely result in bloodshed, but due contribute to arguments at council meetings, blockage of trade, and sometimes out-right brawls between concerned parties.

Due to conflict in the past with humans, they are aggressive in defending their forest from human invasion. Most villages, especially the border villages, send out rangers daily to patrol for humans. Fayl’Idayn, as a vegetarian culture, are not fond of hunters, nor of loggers. Any humans who dare to enter their forest for lumber or hunting face the wrath of the rangers. The Fayl’Idayn do try not to kill humans, and are content to threaten just enough violence to make trespassers turn around and go home, but if engaged in combat, the rangers will fight to the death if their opponent refuses to surrender.

The Ochae’nafod and Dra’nafod are allied with the Fayl’Idayn. Some Ochae’nafod herbivore clans live alongside the Fayl’Idayn on the forest floor, beneath their tree-top village, but the carnivorous Ochae’nafod clans live further away so as not to offend the Fayl’Idayn. Though the Fayl’Idayn understand their nature of being bonded to meat-eating animals, they much prefer that animals they care about not be on their neighbor’s menu.

Ochae’nafod and Dra’nafod typically live in very small conspicuous communities scattered throughout the forests, generally with no more than 20 individuals in a single community. They stay within the ranges of their bonded animal, sometimes living close to herds or packs if they are a gregarious species. Those who live with the Fayl’Idayn are a little more inconspicuous, but still maintain a small population. There are also many incidences of these co-existing peoples leading to interracial offspring, and the offspring of each union usually gravitates back to their mother’s culture.

All the native races to the forest do their part in keeping trespassers from damaging their beloved forest. While the Fayl’Idayn have an organized ranger force, Ochae’nafod and Dra’nafod may chose to chase out any troublesome humans through physical or magical force, or they may go to the Fayl’Idayn rangers to do the job for them.
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Gayntos Mountains

Post by World of Aserra » Sun Jan 13, 2013 5:10 pm

Gayntos Mountains
  • Aldinal Mountain
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Perdraser Mountains

Post by World of Aserra » Sun Jan 13, 2013 5:10 pm

Perdraser Mountains
  • Mount Shiral
  • Eristad Mountain
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Beon Forest

Post by World of Aserra » Sun Jan 13, 2013 5:10 pm

Beon Forest
An ancient forest that has been preserved by the Nafod and Eain’Idayn that inhabit it, the Beon Forest lays between the borders of Belvon and the Gayntos Mountains. In recent decades, the forest has faced destruction from Belvonese incursion as the industrial nation attempts to harvest its resources and expand their borders to the mountain. The natives of the forest have fought to protect their land, but perhaps not as fiercely as the Fayl’Idayn did for the Ardir. Concessions have been made, allowing Belvon to advance their borders by increments, but so far the ground lost has not be substantial.

The Beon is home to predominantly deciduous trees in a mild temperate climate similar to France and Spain. Many tribes of Dra’nafod are bound to the trees in this forest, and there are numerous Ochae’nafod tribes bound to native wildlife. Along with these two groups of Nafod, a couple herds of Eain’Idayn have made homes for themselves in this forest. While the Nafod tribes settled here in ancient times, not long after their creation, the Eain’Idayn came with Idayn travelers. While the Idayn moved eastward to eventually settle in the Ardir, their Eain’Idayn companions settled in open lands throughout the west of Kalesten. Eventually, they were driven out of the Heartland by humans, and the remaining herds made their homes throughout the western grasslands and the Beon Forest.

As Belvon grew into an industrial nation, they required wood and coal to burn for the engines, and mountains to mine their metals from. As the mountains lay across the forest, it made sense to expand eastward. The Belvonese government is not as willing to negotiated with the natives of this forest as Kosony had been with the Ardir. Instead, the Belvonese treat the Eain’Idayn and Ochae’nafod as abominations and lesser life-forms. Otherwise, Ochae’nafod or Dra’nafod are considered remnants of ancient cultures that have no place in the modern world, thus are doomed to die out in Belvon eyes. While those on the front lines are aware of the existences of these fantastic races, most Belvonese citizens reject the very notion of their existence. The soldiers and engineers on the front lines believe that it is better if their countrymen maintain this belief. After all, as far as they’re concerned, the creatures of the Beon Forest will soon be extinct.

To combat intrusion, the Nafod have influenced the flora and fauna to become more aggressive. Ochae’nafod and Eain’Idayn work together to ambush scouting parties and raid campsites in the dead of night. For now, the Belvonese have found these raids too much of a nuisance to keep sending men in, and have found ways to work around the natives of the forest. However, they are continuing to scheme and find ways to get the resources they need and rid the world of what they consider to be primitive races.
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Thervordel Island

Post by World of Aserra » Sun Jan 13, 2013 5:11 pm

Thervordel Island
Thervordel is an island in the Gulf of Kalesten located off the interior east coast of Kosony. The island is built around a volcano formed from the collision of the Ertian sub-continent into Kalesten. Thervordel’s volcano has been inactive for hundreds of years, and has not been a concern for inhabitants since they settled on the island.

Thervordel’s coasts are sprinkled with fishing villages, and a handful of naval and mercantile outposts. Kosony, Kalestine, Agenom, and Ertia all have at least one naval outpost on the island, and use it as a base from which to fight piracy. The island acts as a way point for mercantile ships and the larger ports have inns and markets set up to sell food and supplies to travelers.

The island has a Mediterranean climate, and is often subject to extreme weather changes. The lower altitudes of the island is coastal scrub, while the higher altitudes are forested. The native flora is closely related to the plants of the Ardir, but the plants that survived have adapted to the climate at Thervordel’s lower altitude and warmer coastal climate.

Government
Thervordel has no unified government. The fishing villages typically rely on money from the mainland ports where they sell their catch, and mainly barter for goods at home. These villages have their own leadership, either by vote, heritage, or age. The naval outposts are only small forts claiming a little village-sized piece of land. Major ports on the island are supported by an influx of gold for goods and services provided to passing ships, and are run by major mercantile businesses.

Military
Other than the extra-national naval bases, there is no unified military on Thervordel. Fishing villages have no need for a private militia, and if their village needs to be defended, the men (and some women) will take up arms to protect themselves. Mercantile outposts often hire bodyguards, mercenaries, and privateers to protect their interests.

Resources
As an island, Thervordel’s main natural resource is fish, and the majority of Thervordel’s settlements are geared toward fishing. It also provides a crucial waypoint for vessels traveling between Siol, Coom, and Shiv. The island is also rich in timber, for the moment. There is very little farming, but in addition to fish, chickens, goats, and pigs imported from the mainland provide meat, milk, and eggs. They do not have the space or ground to grow large crops, so many people maintain small personal gardens or community gardens in the village to provide vegetables and fruit. Rabbits, game fowl, and other animals are also hunted on the island, but larger game has been hunted to extinction.

Population & People
Thervordel’s population is made up of predominately humans, but none are native. Villages have been on Thervordel’s shores for generations, but their original founders came from across Kalesten, leaving their homelands for various reasons to start a new life on a quiet little island. The islands ethnicities are mostly made up of North Kalesten, Agenomian, Ertian, and mixes of the above. The island is also home to a few small clans of Ochae’nafod, and one clan of Dra’nafod who were stranded on the island when the world’s sea level rose after the War of the gods. There is also a tribe of Kuzo which is mostly innocuous, as raiding villages would only lead to their own demise on such a small piece of land.
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Discussion for Kalesten

Post by World of Aserra » Sun Jun 23, 2013 6:38 pm

General discussion for the culture, geography, and other aspects of the continent of Kalesten. Discussions about nations can take place in their own threads.
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