Nations of Othyr

And as a companion piece to the map, here's the descriptions of the kingdoms and nations comprising the continent:

The Kingdom was and is the most powerful nation on the continent. It's monarchy was ousted for a theocracy thanks to a grassroots religious movement known as The Sons of Nor, backed by the Church of Nor. What some might have called a coup, with the death of the king, two years of secret wars between the church and the noble houses saw the church victorious. The surviving houses were made to follow the new leader of The Kingdom, Heirarch Endymion, the “chosen” who would lead the empire back on the path of righteousness. Among his more radical changes have been the open alliance with red dragons and the use of his secret police known as The Inquisition to eliminate all instances of “elvish” arcane magic and opposition against the church-state. All non-humans are imprisoned or killed on sight, with the exception of dwarves who have been assimilated as “human” in order to benefit from their ingenious crafting. Elves are also allowed to exist in the empire, but only as slaves, passed from one generation to the next among the most powerful of noble houses. Half-elves are treated thusly, as well. The empire now worships Nor exclusively as their patron god, acknowledging no other, and clerics of other gods are imprisoned or killed on sight. The empire is in a state of transition, perhaps why they haven't invaded anyone in the last twenty years, but as things stabilize with the new regime the hungry eye of the Heirarch will surely wander.

Atha is a recently emerged nation from the union of northern cities who, after the devastating losses during The Demon War, banded together for mutual interests. This union proved incredibly prosperous over two decades, allowing for substantial growth in military, economic and social sectors. A grand army of giants, men, goblins, and feladrin collectively known as The Wardens now patrol the north as a national guard. Ruled mostly by Saviors or heroes of the Demon War, Atha is well-seasoned and well-connected, holding powerful ties with Etheria and Saspien and making it a formidable political power much to the Kingdom's distress. They've also drawn the ire of Azerbad for being a sanctuary for goblin slave runaways fleeing persecution by way of the Green River trafficking organization.

Etheria is a new city state risen by the divine power of Kalinda's own will to act as a hub of religion for The New Gods and as a sanctuary for the dwindling raptoran race, whom the goddess holds a special place for. Almost all the raptorans, good or evil, came to Etheria and converted to one of the New Gods, tending their great temples in one of five quarters within Etheria. Because of its function as the center of New God religion, many races come to the city by means of harrier or winding mountain paths to learn, teach and gather the means to spread the good word. Etheria's influence can already be felt across Atha, Saspien, and Leeds, marking it another opponent of The Kingdom and its one god. The traffic between raptorans and human faithful has also began to spawn half-raptoran ethrey and gehney, what perhaps is the key to the race's survival.

Myaton is an ancient kingdom, one of man's firsts, but only recently has it been given an official name or borders. Home to a intelligent, strategic and capable race of humans who've managed a culture almost entirely hidden from the rest of the world for all these years, slowly they emerge from their palatial cities and cliff-side monasteries for reasons largely unknown. Neutral in almost every matter, it is too soon to say just how Myaton will effect continental politics, religion or society. Suffice to say they are capable of great military and economic feats.

Saspien has seen a great many changes in the last twenty years. Most shocking, perhaps, was the fundamental transformation of the race as the last remnants of Laz's undead blessing left the vampires and turned all that survived into a mortal people akin to elves in suspected longevity. Known as The Change, it might have destroyed vampiric civilization if not for the quick moves of The Church of Hecate and The Church of Gabriel to fill the power gaps, unifying the Houses under the dhampir king Dante and his archmage bride Victoria. Three long-lost houses returned to Saspien and further bolstered their power, come from the new continent of Tir'buk, claimed in Saspien's name. Under Dante and Victoria, the churches have flourished, the vampires have grown more “social”, and the more cruel aspects of their society halted (such as the human farms). The human villages in the shadow of the city have since been given their freedom, only to remain for lack of anywhere else to go, and a strange balance has been struck between the once-prey turned partners and the once immortal masters turned mortal and fallible.

Leeds is perhaps the oldest human kingdom, having existed even before The Kingdom, and helped built by Altan's own hands during the Restoration following the destruction after The Winters War. They even managed to escape the slavery of the elven empire thanks largely to the natural barriers of the Dawnspear Mountains and Umbala Jungles. And so they have escaped The Kingdom, until now, as their relatively small and isolated kingdom comes under more and more political pressure from the empire, Etheria and most especially the aggressive neighboring country of Jiwar to choose a side and make a stand. Of Ledevas themselves, there are a fair race of men that look like they may have been cousins to Nors, or perhaps the human stock the elves used all those years ago to breed their “perfect men”. They stand smaller than Nors, and not all of them strike such statuesque poses. They are great lovers of the sea, holding a respectable navy, and having developed a lucrative economy based around their seamanship, especially with new nations like Etheria, Jiwar and Atha to trade with.

Jiwar was once the ruling territory that was Umbala, a land upriver where kings and chieftains and empresses were made, but once The Kingdom invaded, all of their lands were stolen away and their people beaten into assimilation. However the wild hearts of the Um royalty would not go quietly. Using their superior knowledge of the jungle and its resources, they established the volatile nation of Jiwar, a country that employs whatever means necessary to maintain its borders, and expand them if it can. Always at war with The Kingdom, insular imperial strife abated any decisive strike against Jiwar, but now that the Hierarch has assumed full control, it seems war is on the horizon, one Jiwar, even with all its ferocity, cannot hope to win. In their zeal, Jiwari have begun worship of an array of strange entities seeking power, and opened their borders to orcs, giants (jotun cousins of other elements), gnolls, minotaurs, kobolds, vengeful goblins and anything else willing to fight for them.

Azerbad is a land shrouded in mystery, a desert empire of such power that not even The Kingdom has dared invade them in all the years of its existence, as the elven empire before them did not dare. Though Azerbadians have made small, limited merchant trips throughout Othyr, even so far as to what is now Atha, their people, their ways and their capabilities are largely unknown. Many rumors fly, of course, of vast technologies, genie overlords, dragon kings and even what little is left of the ancient elven empire that fled Nor's rebellion. What is largely known, however, is that in the northern-most towns and cities goblins are used as slaves, fodder and test subjects, a grim fact which began the Green River and the trafficking of goblins to Molg and the freedom of Atha, putting Atha on Azerbad's list.