[Information] The World of Aheka

[Makenshi]

Ikra - The Land of New Beginnings
Language and People
The People of Ikra are referred to as Ikrans. Due to being a very young country, Ikra does not yet have its own language, though various pidgins and creoles have begun to emerge, however Dawnish is generally considered to be the "official" language.

Geography
Ikra is the smallest country in Aheka and situated between Caldawn (which it used to be a part of), Shali and Halva. It also shares a mountain range with both Shali and Halva and a bit of a forest with Caldawn.

Ikra's climate is typically temperate and they enjoy (or suffer as the case may be) rather varied weather compared to most other countries (though this is most likely because most other countries are much larger).

History
Ikra's history is closely tied to that of The Oracle, however even most Ikrans themselves are not aware of the specifics of its formation.

The Oracle's history is a mystery in its own right too, as the earliest records of her existence were shortly after the Betrayer Wars and the collapse of the Second Halvan Empire. At the end of the Betrayer Wars it was the Sei (specifically Jester) who raised awareness of her, and they sought Kings, councils and other representatives from across Aheka to discuss the matter. The result of this was the creation of Ikra - a unique and independent nation which began its life as a protector of this powerful Oracle. The reasons given for this are generally that if any one nation had The Oracle then wars would be fought over her, so a nation was founded around her instead and, in return for pacts from several Ahekan countries (most notably Pharé, Halva, Aria, Tyyryk and Nihl) guaranteeing them aid if they are invaded, Ikra's only standing army exists only to protect the Oracle, while the High Lord and those who run Ikra day-to-day have their own, private security forces.

Culture
As a young country, Ikra's culture is hard to pin down. For the most part it is considered the most cosmopoliton nation in Aheka, where anyone regardless of origins, race or any other factor can go to start a new life free of prejudice. However this is a double-edged sword, as the state's laws are generally very accepting, resulting in Ikra being one of the few countries with public temples to Fiendish deities (albeit not as many and not as large as Sharak's), as well as numerous other open studies of subject matter no other nation would entertain except under secrecy.

If anything, Ikrans are a tolerant and inquisitve people, forever trying to push the boundaries of understanding, morality or anything else that comes to mind. Whether this is simply a result of being a new country for new beginnings or if it will be the same over the next few centuries is, in and off itself, a very popular debate in Ikra.

Towns and Cities
Ikra's capital, Calarin, is the home of the High Lord and also the largest city by far.

Despite its size, Ikra actually has several cities, though most of them are rather small, and they have comparatively few villages and towns, especially compared to their neighbour Halva.

More importantly, the home of The Oracle is up in the north-eastern mountains within what is effectively a small city that houses soldiers and servants of hers. Though it is technically called Rincala, most Ikrans (and an increasing number of non-Ikrans) have come to refer to it as "The Eye in the Mountains".

Politics
Ikra is technically ruled by a High Lord, who functions like most kings would, as well as a high council made up of several key individuals in the running of the nation (typically nobles or wealthy merchants).

However it is The Oracle (see history) who is the true power of Ikra as she is the one responsible for both choosing the next High Lord and in deciding if and when the current High Lord is no longer fit to rule (they otherwise rule until their death). Her word in these matters is absolute and people from all walks of life have arisen to become Ikra's High Lord at her command (the current High Lord was a commoner for instance).

However, this power and a few other minor ones are all the direct influence that The Oracle has and, contrary to popular belief, she does not function as the leader of Ikra, merely as their own personal Seer and Advisor, though it is not known quite how often she advises the High Lord with knowledge of her visions.

Since Ikra's founding (see History) she has been guarded by her own army in the large mountain range in the north east of Ikra (which leads into both Aria and Halva), not far from the domain of Lalian Shedeth. Only those invited by The Oracle may step onto this hallowed ground and those who have done so without her permission are immediately executed by her protectors, a mixture of Ikran patriots and those who worship the Oracle as a Goddess. Whether The Oracle is a deity of some sort is hotly debated, however she neither grants spells nor answers prayers.

~MTWC

[Makenshi]

Halva - The Land of the One King
Language and People
The People of Halva are referred to as Halvans, as is their language. Halva is notable for sharing its country name (and therefore the name of both its language and people) with the surname of their Royal Family, as the first King of Halva named it after himself.

Geography
Halva is the largest country in Aheka and has been so for at least nine centuries, ever since it was first formed by King Vulcar Halva I, although its actual size has varied over time from being a little smaller than it is now to technically encompassing the whole of Aheka save for Pharé, Kaira and Quall during the First Halvan Empire.

In terms of weather and physical geography, Halva is blessed with a varied (though mostly temperate) climate, with its north being slightly hotter and the south slightly colder, as well as a good mix of open plains, forests and mountains (although its only large mountain range is in the north-west and shared with Aria, Shali and Ikra (though most of it is in Halva), which provide it with a rich variety and number of natural resources.

History
Halva is, historically (and arguably still currently) the most powerful nation in Aheka, having maintained two empires that encompassed almost all of Aheka and even after the Second Halvan Empire's Fall over half a century ago they managed to maintain much of their power and influence in the wider world.

In fact, war and the subjugation of other nations/peoples has long been a part of Halva's history, beginning with King Vulcar I's (also known as "the One King") unifcation of the disparate groups of Humans in the south-eastern edge of the southern continent a little over nine centuries ago. From these humble beginnings Vulcar eventually conquered the nearby small kingdoms and other minor nations that formed shortly after the Demongate Wars, founding Halva, and then going on to conquer the larger nations of Aheka (including, eventually, Sharlan [which had been the most powerful nation until then], which had a technological and magical advantage but a numbers disadvantage) until all but what is now Pharé (because it was an island quite far away from the other nations), Kaira (because it was such a hostile environment in which they did not stand a chance of winning against the native population) and Quall (due almost entirely to the ancestors of the Rudaa Kinship) were absorbed into it. The First Halvan Empire eventually fell however, only a few decades after having conquered Sharlan, and starting with the Tyyr's Rebellion, which saw Tyyryk gain its freedom.

Although technically Halva has only had one other Empire since then, that does not mean it has remained at peace. In fact, throughout its history Halva has continuallly absorbed nearby (and sometimes even faraway) territories however these were typically minor conflicts with individual (and often small) nations that have since been forgotten to all but the most learned historians, it is only when Halva has made a dedicated effort to move across the whole of Aheka that it has formed Empires.

The second Halvan Empire started a little over one and a half centuries ago with the invasion of Caldawn and fell a little over half a century ago, ending with the freeing of Caldawn and formation of Ikra, making it neither as long-lived nor as large as the First Halvan Empire. The Second Halvan Empire consisted of all the southern countries except for Aria, all the northern countries except for Kaira and all of the eastern countries except for Quall, however in some of these cases (such as Nihl, Kast, Shali and Sharak) being a part of the Halvan Empire merely meant accepting Halvan authority, with their own rulers typically remaining in place, albeit technically being subject to the whims of the Halvan King's authority. These countries tended to be quite strong countries (such as Shali and Sharak) or countries with limited appeal to Halva (such as Kast), whereas others with rich natural resources but relatively little power to defend them (such as Elern and Tyyryk) were truly subjucated.

Culture
Halvan culture is remarkably diverse for such a large, long-lasting and aggressive nation, mostly because through their two Empires, various wars and other conflicts, they have come to absorb little bits and pieces of other countries' cultures. They are also incredibly diverse genetically as there are very very few "true" Halvans due to how much the country's territory has changed over the centuries, and as a result they are sometimes hard to recognise as distinctly Halvan, especially as (again) their numerous invasions have made part Halvans in other countries fairly common place (if frowned upon).

Stereotypially, Halvans are seen as an arrogant people however in truth this is an attitude mostly of their social elite, as a great deal of Halvans are farmers or other working people (a fact forgotten or overlooked by a lot of people), but they do have a (generally accurate) reputation for being very patriotic and proud of their nation's history, specifically their global dominance, with many (particularily the older generations) talking fondly of the days where Halva all but ruled the whole of Aheka.

Towns and Cities
Halvana, the capital of Halva, is the largest city in the whole of Aheka and by far the largest and most prolific trading city too. It also sits between the headquarters of Halva's two largest Kinships, who are and have been feuding for decades over territorial disputes. Eija, the Kigo headquarters, is to Halvana's north-east, while Sharval, the Vash headquarters, is to Halvana's south-west.

Politics
Halva's current ruler is King Vulcar II, named after the founder of Halva itself (see history). Vulcar is the first male born into the royal family for over 55 years, when Pharé assassinated all the males within the royal family, which was the nail in the coffin for the Second Halvan Empire which soon collapsed completely afterwards. Vulcar is a young king at only twenty years old, having been crowned King at the incredible age of one week old to restore confidence in Halva, though many believe he is simply a puppet for the Halvan nobles and/or the Halvan High Council. Recently, however, Vulcar has been drawing ire from many Nobles as he has becoming increasingly independant when it comes to making his decisions.

Technically speaking, the Halvan Monarch has ultimate authority, however in practice they need at least some support from the Halvan Lords and Ladies (the land-owners and highest ranking nobles) as otherwise it becomes incredibly difficult for them to accomplish anything. Similarily, the Halvan military's absolute authority is the current Monarch, but most of the Halavn Kings and Queens of the last few centuries tend to leave this to either a trusted advisor or a relative in practice as, while the Monarch is always taught the art of Baldeweaving (amongst other things) it is more out of tradition that anything else. There are many in Halva who believe that it should return to it roots, that of great Warrior-Kings such as Vulcar I of Halva and his son and heir, Coiya Halva, the first and second kings in Halva's history respectively, and the two Kings who, between them, invaded almost all of Aheka while leading right from the front.

~MTWC

[Makenshi]

Pharé - The Land of the Feyfolk
Language and People
The People of Pharé are referred to as Pharéans, as is their language.

Geography
Pharé is the only island nation in Aheka which is part of the reason for the isolationist tendancies (see History and Culture). Pharé has many forests and a few mountains, both of which are at the largest in Pharé's north, where fewer people live, but is otherwise a land of open plains and rivers. Pharé as a whole has a temperate climate, however the south tends to be hotter while the north colder.

Pharé's north (and even the sparse forests of the south) is home to a disporportionate amount of Fey compared to other nations, which is part of the reason that there are very few Trolls in Pharé compared to elsewhere in Aheka where they are generally the greatest threat to travellers (in Pharé they live only in the northern mountains).

History
Pharé has long been a matriarchal and isolationist country, though it has also been a world power for almost all of its history. In particular it is the combination of technological superiority (especially in regards to their ships) combined with being an island nation that has thwarted all attempts to invade it.

Culture
Pharé is the most advanced of the countries in Aheka in regards to technology and boasts the greatest overall army in the whole of Aheka. Pharé has required (and still does to an extent) to be the best simply because it is the only Matriarchal country in Aheka, and, partially because of this, is very isolationist, with almost no ‘allies’ amongst the other nations.

Curiously for a technologically advanced nation, Pharé boasts a deep connection to the Fey that inhabit it, even having a Half-Nymph Queen, however they maintain this delicate balance through the use of magic. Namely, where other nations will mine for materials, cut down trees, etc. Pharé will always use a magical or technological alternative (such as their mages creating items or raw materials, acellerating their growth or duplicating them).

Towns and Cities
The Pharéan capital, Feid, is a port city that stretches across several miles of the southern coast. The Ailen headquarters are located a little north of the capital, though they have a strong presence within the capital and many other cities throughout Pharé.

Politics
Queen Elish is the current ruler of Pharé, a daughter of Álainn, the Nymph Queen and Archgate of Lunvai, making her a Half-Fey, and one of two daughters born of the Nymph's brief (as an ageless creature of nature sees time at least) relationship with the previous king, Elish's father. Her older sister abjucated the throne and left Pharé over two decades ago, leaving Elish the heir to the throne. Her sister's whereabouts are still unknown, or at least a well-guarded secret.

~MTWC