A quick look at all the nations on the continent of Maywikt in Evaryn.
A Brief History of Maywikt
The continent of Maywikt is one steeped in history, political tension, and dichotomy. Maywikt in the old tongue translates "Made of the Wind." About 3,000 years ago, the land was once ruled under a unified empire under the Yormouth line, but that peace was undone by the arrival of the Vampire Dreadlords, who over many years, used magic, espionage, the creation of the Dawnless, and war to take control of the continent. The Yormouth line was thought to have been extinguished, and the Dreadlords held Maywikt in their iron claws as they used dark rituals to blot out the sun. This was known as the Sunless Era.
A Dawnless, one of the Dreadlords' children, broke away and began to teach the kith (aka player races/people/you know) how to fight them, thus leading to the first incarnation of the order of Black Coats. Along with this, many of the people and races worked together to end the threat of the Dreadlords. In the Battle of the New Morn, the people of Maywikt were victorious, but none could agree on who should rule, with the Yormouth bloodline gone. Soon, petty squabbling led to the rise of nations. To endure this, the Neutral Frontier was drawn up.
In recent years, the western half of Maywikt has been embracing the industrial revolution that has been sweeping throughout Evaryn, while it seems the eastern half of Maywikt wants to reject this and remain with its traditional ways.
The Neutral Frontier
Nestled in the center of Maywikt, in the old seat of the Grand Yormouth Empire lies the Neutral Frontier. Its name is derived from the fact it is not to be a political actor/entity that seeks its own self interest, or a traditional nation. The Frontier is considered a Neutral ground where no one nation has more power than the others. It's capital city is Sidgus. Sidgus is a focal point of many trade routes, thus fueling its economy on tariffs and taxes that companies or guilds pay to set up shop in the city.
The Neutral Frontier is ruled by a council known as the Nimmod. The Nimmod is comprised of representatives from all the nations of Maywikt. These ambassadors take it upon themselves to try and maintain peace in the land, and making laws and rulings for all of Maywikt; their most recent ruling of note was the law stating all Sentinels were free people despite their artificial origins. The ambassador for the Neutral Frontier is the Lord of Sidgus and the head of the Nimmod, the mysterious Mordyre.
The Neutral Frontier has 3 edicts that all other nations must respect or face the wrath of the Nimmod and the Militant Peacekeepers. These are referred to as the Laws of Neutrality. They are as follows:
1. No nation or political entity shall lay claim to any land or territory within the Neutral Frontier.
2. No conflicts related to politics or warfare are allowed within the Neutral Frontier. Also, no nation shall transport an army with intentions of warfare through the Neutral Frontier. The only military entity allowed to operate within the Neutral Frontier is the Militant Peacekeepers.
3. The only ruling body that shall be recognized by the Neutral frontier is the Nimmod and the Mordyre. The Nimmod is to be a council comprised of an ambassador from each nation of Maywikt and the Mordyre shall lead the Nimmod and serve as the ambassador for the Neutral Frontier.
The Militant Peacekeepers that upholds order in the Neutral Frontier acts as its military force, border patrol, and law enforcement. Their name is quite literal in that they keep the peace through military actions. It sends out Marshals should the need to apprehend a criminal outside of the borders of the Frontier.
The Neutral Frontier is surrounded by mountains to the north, but the rest of it is covered in vast forests and plains of rolling hills. None of the other settlements within the Frontier reach the size of Sidgus, many of them being small villages. These villages survive on farming, logging, and simpler industries.
Kovith
Originally a small, religiously minded nation, over the years, Kovith has grown into a technological empire bent on domination and forcing its religion on other people. After the Battle of New Morn, one of the heroes of the battle, a human general named Ser Orcthenbruck, claimed to be the descendant of the Yormouth line. Over time, others believed his blood to be holy and that he and his offspring served as the Avatar of the god of Light, Kovar. This developed into the Church of Kovith, which to present day in Evaryn is the chief religion of the kingdom.
With the rise of the use of aether oil and steam technology, Kovith has been the seat of this technological revolution, giving rise to industry. With this, it have been able to mobilize its legions to effectively take over many of the smaller duchies and kingdoms around itself. This rapid expansion has also led to other lands swearing fealty to Kovith to avoid the onslaught of soldiers armed with powder arms. Those under the Emperor Orchtenbruck's rule find themselves being subject to having to practice the religion of Kovith with the only exception being the Steam Priests. The Orchtenbruck Emperor rules from the city of Belmont.
Western Maywikt sits fearfully as Kovith pushes her borders, Athundum able to resist with its own technology and industry, and Rendwood remaining untouched due to the giants there as well as being a major mining area for aether.
Kovtih is ruled by a human family (though some debate the "purity" of this human-ness), and much of Kovith is settled be humans with other races such as dwarves, mouselings, homunculi, sentinels, and the likes calling it home. Many of the marshlands that Kovith sits upon are traditional Lizardfolk lands, many of the Lizardmen being forced off their land. The only thing seeming to stand between Kovith and eastern Maywikt is the Neutral Frontier.
Glindythiel
Lying to the east of the Neutral Frontier is land of Glindythiel, a traditional elven nation. Glindythiel has relied on the arcane arts to build itself up and maintain its rule over its subjects along with defend itself. Glindythiel was truly formed when the wood elf land of Glindyvale and the high elf land of Endythiel signed the Treaty of Glindythiel. The governing body of the nation is a council of elves known as the Concord. The ivory city of Conordia is the capital city of Glindythiel where the Concord rules from. The land is home to the great, white cities of the high elves along with the great tree-top settlements of wood elves.
Some scholars theorize this area is where the first elves arrived in Maywikt from the Feywild, thus leading to the land being steeped in magic. This means that there are perhaps some of the strongest pools and sources of magic in Maywikt located in Glindythiel. This magic is important to the people of Glindythiel, many of them rejecting the technology and industry that is overtaking Maywikt. With the rise in power of Kovith, the Concord has turned to unlikely allies in the Green Sticks, a militant group of Lizardfolk revolutionaries as well as the Enclave of Ancients.
Dyrewind
Pronounced “Dire-wind,” this land lies to the north of Glindythiel and Valonde of the Whispering Woods, to the east of Rendwood, and south of Urndvyk’s frozen tundra. Dyrewind was originally an elfish land, but humans from the north began to migrate downward, leading Dyrewind to also support a healthy human population. Dyrewind can actually boast a decent mix of population among its races. The northern part of Dyrewind are comprised of the World Spine Mountains, and the rest of it is full of forests, rolling hills, and foothills. Dyrewind’s southern section hosts the Dark Forest.
Ruled by a human king, Dyrewind is a land still being developed. The king rules from the capital city of Wolf's Fen. A few major cities dot its landscape, but much of Dyrewind’s landscape is covered in old Elfish ruins that predate the Sunless Era. It is a land steeped in history, and many come here to learn about the Aedellians an old race who are thought to be some of the first to master magic. Due to this, many adventurers come in search of finding great treasures, while many others come to Dyrewind due to the open land. It’s location on the eastern border with its coast having access to the Shimmering Sea also gives Dyrewind an advantage when it come to trade with the eastern land of Shivar or even Dragonsand to the south.
Dyrewind’s relationship with her neighbors has not always been the greatest, its history with them dotted in many wars. The nation suffers greatly being one of the only other “buffers” against the harsh north of Urndvyk, so it sees many raids from some of the tribes from the frozen land north. Dyrewind’s residents identify proudly with their nationality, having won itself independence from the Endlithier Kingdom, an old High Elf kingdom. This makes Dyrewind one of the more tolerant lands in Maywikt, but outsiders beware, especially high elves from Glindythiel, for they may experience some distrust. Being a land steeped in magical history, Dyrewindians are used to it, but the land has begun to bring technology from the west into use.
Valonde of the Whispering Wood
Valonde of the Whispering Wood is made up of the miles long woodland that is the Whispering Wood. An ancient, primeval, and enchanted forest, Valonde is home to a large population of wood elves along with a healthy population of forest dwarves, mouselings, lizardfolk, and sylvan creatures. It is lead by the Great Forest Mother, a powerful dryad that the wood elves let rule them willingly. Gaea's Heart is the capital of Valonde, it being the home of the Great Forest Mother.
Due to this, many of the settlements of Valonde are often constructed into the nature around them. Wood elf cities sit atop tree canopies while mouseling villages are constructed into the sides of massive mushrooms. Civilization is far from in between, making traveling in its expanses dangerous, as not all the sylvan creatures calling Valonde home are the friendly kind. Due to the large expanses of woodland and the difficulty of navigating it, many legends surround Valonde, such as great healing springs, faerie groves, and the Green Knight of Ellondie legend.
Urndvyk
To the far north of Maywikt lies a land that is frozen almost year round. This nation is Urndvyk. It stretches as far north until it hits the Never-ending Tundra. The Worldspine Mountains are in Urndvyk, running along it to almost form the border between it and the rest of Maywikt. Urndvyk is inhabited by many hardy individuals who carve out a living in the harsh expanses of the north. Instead of being ruled by one unified government, most of Urndvyk lives in tribes ruled by their respective forms of government.
Many humans and dwarves call the frozen north home along with some elves and whatever brave soul has ventured north. With this, some of the best and strongest warriors Maywikt may know come from Urndvyk; an Urndvykian warrior is said to be as mighty as 3 Ellondie knights. Even elves from Urndvyk are strong and able bodied. Considering this, the harsh expanses and living in Urndvyk can still produce cruel individuals, such as Kaerlash, the leader of the Knights of Sin. Even though it recently has been recognized as a nation, Urndvyk tends to keep to its own affairs, being that it is a very divided place of squabbling tribes and clans. It is not uncommon for raiders to cross borders to the south to raid villages for food and supplies. Should Urndvyk’s divided clans ever unite to one cause, it would be a real contender as a power on Maywikt.
Recently, Kaerlesh has been unifying tribes under his banner through either conquest or intimidation. This fighting force under the Knights of Sin has grown considerably and has been cause of some concern to the nations of the south. Kaerlesh is one of the most wanted individuals by the Militant Peacekeepers.
Rendwood
To the north of Imperial Kovith lies the land of Rendwood, home to dwarves and giants who mine the mountains for veins of Aether and Rend-iron to make Darksteel. Both mountain and forest dwarves call the land of Rendwood home. The dwarves and giants live in a happy cohabitation, with the dwarves tending to mining, building, and forging to keep Kovith happy and out of its borders and the giants keeping back any raiders from Urndvyk.
Glacern is the capital of Rendwood, it being the seat of the Oakheart Elders, the rulers of the clans of Rendwood. They come together to make the laws and decisions that affect all of Rendwood. The Oakheart Elders, they elect a King to rule over the Rendwood and guide it. The Oakheart Elders also have a member who is chosen by the giant clans to also aid in its guidance and serve as an ambassador for the giants to help maintain the relationship between them and the kith citizens of the nation.
Due to the large population of dwarves, mining, and proximity to the industrial boom, Rendwood's people have taken to the use of technology to help in its mining and brewing operations, which are the major parts of its economy.
With that, we bring this post to a close. I would give an overview of all the nations of Maywikt, but that would make for a long post, and this is better off being split up into two parts. Next time we look at Evaryn, we will finish up the overview of Maywikt by looking at Ellonde, Belumar, Athudnum, Higard, Gondolin, Arnylin, and Duskwind Vale. I hope you are enjoying these bits about my home brew setting. I'm enjoying sharing it! After we finish with nations, we are going to talk about the various faiths that people in the land follow.
Anyway, until next time,
Happy gaming,
Puddins