[Information] Atlas

[MoonZar]

Continent of Zarathan The world of Zar has 35+ distinct nations and three known continent. Here's a map of the continent of Zarathan. The most advanced civilization established themselves on this continent.

[MoonZar]

The great kingdoms Selarya - The imperial capital Title: Selaryan Empire Capital: Holy Imperial city of Selarya, kingdom of Celestya Alignment: LG Ruler: Empress Aurelia Cornaya Important personalities: Archduke Ceril Rador (Duchy of Celestya), Duchess Charlotte Rador (Duchy of Celestya), Archduke Hector Valois (Duchy of Asterya), Holy mother Jasmina Alarie (High priestess of Eryka) Language: Selaryan (Common) Religion: Eryka The city of Selarya was founded ages ago on a small island by Queen Eryka Cornaya who lead the fight against the ancient elvish empire. When noble Eryka ascended as a goddess, the city buildings were transformed into crystal solid as steel. Since then the city is known as the imperial holy city of Selarya. From far away the city looks like a fortified pyramid of seven layers with a huge palace and cathedral at the top. Each layer is a city ward, with his own walls and towers. The immense lake around town is believed to be made of pure holy water from the goddess tears herself. The city is by far the most populated and rich of the empire, its also an important cultural center with countless ancient buildings and temples. The Selaryan empire is composed of several kingdoms, but the land managed by Selarya and the emperor himself are two large duchies, one is called Celestya and the other Asterya. Those lands are among the most fertile and rich in resources in the entire continent. Each of them is ruled by a family that fought in ancient time with Eryka against the elves. The seat of imperial power is called the rose throne, the Cornaya family is ruling on the city since the bronze age about five thousands year ago. With the sudden death of the Empress, the city is ruled by the magistrate Frederick Olm, with the support and blessing of Eryka mighty church. Selarya The legend says that the city of Selarya was built by the four elemental gods Celesya, Efreety, Vangelysa and Miranas on a mountain to create a perfect city with their followers for mortals to worship and defend themselves from the elvish empire who at the time enslaved most of humanity. They gave birth to Eryka with their essences who became the first queen of the great city. Selarya is more than a city, it is a symbol of the strength of men, dwarves, gnomes and other races of origin. That's why the city is known as holy and divine. Many of the important buildings of the city are made of white crystal strong as iron. The city is protected against dimensional spells and conjuration of creatures, many buildings are also warded against evil. The metropolis is divided into seven districts who are built on different elevated landform of different levels of altitude. The first at sea level is the port, while the highest one host the palace and great cathedral. The population of the city is 180 500 permanent inhabitants and more than 250 000 inhabitants in total during the summer. The city is huge and the aqueducts are very efficient so that we do not feel a phenomenon of overpopulation in the city. The city usually contains the bulk force of the imperial army in time of peace with a reserve of 40,000 soldiers. The first district is the ports. The city has five large ports, the largest is oriented towards the North and is the port which is dedicated to the merchant ships, at all times the port is at full capacity, which requires efficient and well-calculated management by the authorities. The other ports are smaller, but vital to the city, one of them is oriented to the northwest and is the one for the military. There are a total of about 50 warships of all kinds that are used primarily to patrol the Crystals Lake, including three galleons which are capable of flight. Apart from the port itself the district is very large and is composed of hundreds of large warehouses, almost one hundred inn and tavern, the great guild of sailors, the shipyards and guilds of warriors. The half of this district a little deeper on the side of the city are middle-class residences of Selarya. The second district is the economic engine of the city, the bazaar. Half of this sector are shops and stall, one of the largest in the world next to Birone. Merchants come from all over the world to come and sell their wares all year long even in winters. The place is patrolled by multiple patrols of the city, and very little criminal manage to make a living there. There are several inns, restaurants and leisure area still affordable for all sociable classes, but a little more expensive than the port. In this district, there are also public baths, art galleries, theatres and the merchants' guild. There are hundreds of residences in this district, most are larger than the port. Most merchants, craftsmen, officers and other wealthier social classes live there. The third district is called the imperial park because half of it is composed of various parks which contains a lot of flowers, summer gardens and trees. There are dozens of monuments dedicated to Selarian heroes, in memory of wars and other important events in the history of Selarya. One of the most important monuments is dedicated to St. Adeleryanna who defeated the elvish emperor Balkalas, Eryka the first queen Selarya and great goddess of the city, Jaer the husband of Eryka and great founder of the Knights of Selarya and a very beautiful monument in honor of Rysth, Justin, Ulrick, Dareth, Orphé and Adèleryanna who liberated the city of Selarya from a curse. The other part of the district is composed of very rich residences, the richest residents of the commoners are there, it is also in this district that there is the big cemetery of the city with several hundred crypts. There is a very large underground complex of tombs under the city. Obviously since with the generations, the grounds of this cemetery became rarer and at a cost too high for the middle class, there is a big cemetery outside the walls of the city for the common folks that is just as beautiful and majestic. The fourth district is that of the gods, since one finds most of the temples of the city. Most of the good and neutral gods are represented in the city, here is the list of some of the most famous religion represented, in bold are major temples of more than 250 acolyte and priests. Alashra, Maëlla (The eternal), Miranas, Al-Zuna (The Bronze Ziggurat), Celesya (The Tears), Efreety, Eryka (The Hall of Roses), Galliant, Isaelle, Jaer (The Tower), Ludya, Miranas, Nanyl (The gentle repose), Phalian (The radiant home), Ophëlyëlle, Tellah, Vangelysa , Vystanyelle, Xalastar, Ryst, Kenzaki. Although this district is dedicated to temples and places of worship, there are still shrines and smaller churches in all the districts. A total of 25 temples of Eryka can be found in the city for example. We find in this district the large and prestigious castle called the shield, which is the castle of the imperial Knights of Selarya. Along the streets, one can find several statues of gods, saints, divine heroes, creatures and animals such as dragons, griffins and other noble and legendary creatures. Several fountains and a small river flows in this district. The fifth district is named the guardians, which makes reference to the nobles of the city. There are about a hundred mansions ranging from fifty to one hundred rooms. All the nobles of Selarya and the realms of the empire have a residence there. Once a year when the city is not in wartime in the middle of the summer, all the nobles offer a day open door or everyone can freely visit part of their mansions and garden, obviously it is supervised by the guards of the Town and small items are neatly tidied up, but the people enjoy this day immensely, the palace of Selarya, and the Shield are also accessible during this day. We also find in this district the richest inns and shops one can think of. The sixth district is, the called the bath of knowledge because it contains the legendary Ludya's huge library which contains so many secrets of the original races that the goddess Ludya offered as a gift to the elemental gods and humans for their victory over the tyrannic elven empire. Everyone can access the large library, but there is a significant fee of 5 gold for a week pass to access the library. The district host the majority of the imperial administrative buildings, such as the place where all the properties are registered, the courts of justice, the headquarters of the army, the mint, the office of the tax collectors, and many other government buildings. Finally the other important buildings are the embassies of pretty much all the known nations, such as Valkara, Birone, Camorya, Yuukan, Sunalia, Patrenia, Asteria, Imadyr and so on. Finally the last district and not the least, that of roses. There is a huge palace of Selarya that is actually built around an immense cathedral dedicated to Eryka and the elemental gods that can host 10 000 people. At the top of the monument is a statue of Eryka 50 feet high which serves as a beacon for the city since it shines with a bright light visible a hundred kilometres around for the boats. Legends said that there are many chapels in the cathedral with a portal that leads to other planes of existence such as heaven and the elementals plane, but also some portal that leads to other cities in the world. Those are well guarded by an elite force but also with the most powerful magic one can afford. Of course, one of the area of interest of the palace is the hall of the roses, where the imperial throne is located. This is also where the council of the guardians host their session, which is a group of nobles from all over the empire that represent their people to vote laws and discuss important matters. In the absence of an emperor to force decisions, this place is very dysfunctional at the moment.   Empire's throne room   Athenya Patrenia, Citadel of steel Title: Athenya Capital: Patrenia, Citadel of steel Alignment: Lawful Evil Ruler: Queen Elza Cornaya Important personalities: Kadren Moor (Supreme warlord of Xydanyël), King Leon Fangoria "Leo the indestructible" , Duke Lex Kenden (Duchy of Elenya) Language: Darakyan (It's a northern language), Selaryan (Common) Religion: Xydanyel, Eryka Patrenia was constructed only a few generations ago. Stone giants with dwarves completed this impressive project in fifty years. The great citadel by the sea is believed to be impossible to conquer with his two hundred feet high walls and powerful artilleries. The largest imperial navy base is housed in Patrenia, with a capacity of one hundred warships in port. The military tradition of the city is fanatical. It's not surprising that the patron goddess of the city is Xydanyel, goddess of war. Patrenia because of its central location in the continent, always have been a military platform to launch invasions and conquests in the south. In the current era of peace, the citadel is the natural doorway to the south for trade and commerce, which make the city one of the most prosperous place in the world, but very little of those riches are distributed in the countryside. The rest of the country is mostly unremarkable farmlands. The former capital of the country is Dogma, mostly populated by people who don’t believe in gods, but rather worship a set of values that all men should follow. Dogma is almost as populated as Patrenia, but the political influence of the city have been reduced severly when Patrenia was finally completed. The Duchy of Elenya, a large island at the west of Patrenia was conquered by the Patrenia three decade ago. It provides a lot of essential resources to Patrenia, such as precious metals from the mountains and woods. Elenya has a long tradition of wizards and loremasters, their libraries were spared during the war and remain a prime destination for scholars. The Duke of Elenya is an important noble figurehead at the imperial court, and absolutely loyal to the Patrenian Queen. The current queen of Patrenia is Elza Cornaya, she is the younger sister of the late Empress Helena. She is the imperial navy great admiral and a cunning tactician, undefeated on the sea. As Helena's sister, she has a strong claim on the imperial throne, by birthright, but also with the large navy and army loyal to her. She is known as cold-hearted, popular among the military and the nobles, but the people don’t support her much. Camorya Title: Pearl isles of Camorya Capital: Iridya, City of pearls Alignment: NG Ruler: King Aksel Ponceludon Important personalities: Duchess Ayaga Ankarana, Queen Yui Ponceludon Language: Selaryan (Common) Religion: Celesya, Galliant, Eryka Iridia is the city of pearls and a center of innovation, home of the first university of the world. Early firearms, canons, advanced caravels and other new inventions appeared first in Iridia. The port of Camorya is as large of Selarya and Patrenia, and is one of the prime destination from the northern merchant to sell their goods such as animal pelts. The people of Camorya are known for their spirit of adventurers, many of the most famous navigators and explorers are born in Camorya. Aksel Ponceludon is the new king around the block. The former king dynasty failed and Aksel through bravery and adventure won his crown by serving the former Empress. An adventurer at heart, he discovered a new continent for the empire called the wildland. He spent a lot of his early life to cartograph this land and explore. He also disappeared for a couple of years, claiming to have traveled on his ship into another plane of existence. Last year he married a young cousin of the empress and reluctantly retired from adventures to become king of Camorya and Armadya. He spends most of his free time away from the court teaching a new generation of explorers at the royal naval academy of Camorya. The Duchy of Armadya went through many disasters a century ago. Lead by a circle of sorceress and witches, some of their misguided leaders made a pact with powerful planar being to increase their powers. It backfired and the country was overrun by elemental monsters. It took half the Imperial army to come to their aid and free the country from their misery. The land of Armadya was then annexed by the Empress, claiming that it was for the people protection. Some claimed that it was just a convenient excuse to expend the empire. Ademar the capital of the duchy still have a lot of natural born caster, under the close supervision of Eryka's clergy that keeps watching for forbidden cults and magic. The seven free state of Valkara Title: The seven free state of Valkara Capital: Valkara, The sky city Alignment: CG Ruler: King Seldor Valkarana Important personalities: Queen Kalia Valkarana Language: Auran, Selarya (Common) Religion: Vangelysa, Rysth Isolated in the neutral mountains, a colony of humans exposed to high altitude for hundred of years became the good people of Valkara. Worshiping music, arts, and the goddess Vangelysa, the denizen of the sky city developed a unique civilization, cultivating their freedom above all else. A total of seven great cities dominate what is called the spine of the world or the neutral mountains, each of them ruled by a skilled family of artists and bard. The head of each of the leading family is a count in the imperial nobility. Seldor Valkarana is believed to be no other than the eldest son of Rysth, and rule on his people more as a guide, and not as an enforcer of imperial laws like the other kings of the empire. The king's queen Kalia is known to have the voice of a goddess and is the high priestess of Rysth religion, she is known of the greatest bard of the last century.

[MoonZar]

The great kingdoms Wyzlar Title: Astral Kingdom of Wyzlar Capital: City of Wonders Alignment: Lawful Neutral Ruler: Unknown Queen\King Important personalities: Unknown Language: Elvish, Draconic, Sylvan Religion: Old elvish gods At the dawn of the world, the elves were created by the eight moons and the goddess of magic gave them the gift of magic and knowledge. Unchallenged they built the greatest civilization known in history and controlled most of the world. This great empire name was Wyzlar. The world was young at the time and the other races were primitive and barely mastered fire and stone. The elves enslaved those races that worked in their mines and helped build their wonders. The emperor of the elves was Balkalas, also known as the tyrant of the eight moons, his power was all mighty and he ruled the world and beyond for thousands of years. Balkalas learned magic from his goddess and taught his followers. He invented many of the spells that are still in use today. The legend says that the emperor and his followers could control space and time and commanded the moons and stars. All things must end and eventually, the elven empire was defeated by their barbarian slaves and their gods. The emperor Balkalas was vanquished and killed by the young human queen Eryka. Most of the elven cities were sacked and burned to the ground. Most of the elves that survived retreated deep into the forest of Wyzlar and with their impressive fortification they were able to keep their enemies at bay for centuries. Eventually, the human civilizations became too strong and finally brought Wyzlar to their knees. Many secrets of the elves were lost in this conflict and the goddess of magic became silent. From that moment, magic started to fade away from the world and became a rare gift. it took a millennia for the elvish kingdom to increase their numbers and rebuild to finally be a shadow of its former self. Surrounded by humans and foreign kingdoms who all have their own agenda, Wyzlar's survival hang often by a thread. Matuzala Title: Matuzala Sultanate Capital: Birone, city of gems and dreams Alignment: CN Ruler: Sultana Adira Motallebzadeh Important personalities: Vizir Kamilah Motallebzadeh Language: Ignan, Selarya (Common) Religion: Al-Zuna Birone used to be the ancient capital of the mighty empire of Matuzala. This vast realm included Sunalya, Yuukan, Gaellya, Athenya, Elenya, Vastyrya, and Imadyr. Wars, conflicts and other calamities broke down this impressive empire a long time ago. Today Birone is the capital of a much more modest territory, the mystic islands of Matuzalia and Vastyrya are what's remained of this legendary kingdom. Birone joined the Selaryan empire in exchange for military support against Imadyr, that is at war with Matuzala for two hundred years. Without this alliance, Birone would have surely perished. The great sultan Abibi Motallebzadeh was assassinated by Imadyr assassins and Matuzala is now in the hands of his daughter Adira of the same name. The young Sultana is barely at the dawn of adulthood and has to rule a kingdom with a lot of problems. Kamilah Motallebzadeh, Adira sister, is a mighty warrior and Vizier of the Sultana, she rules over Vastyrya that is the front line of the war against Imadyr. The politic is at best complicated in Matuzala, the Sultana officially is the undisputed monarch of the Al-Zuna theocracy, but her rule is weak since she is an unproven leader and many of the regional leaders and powerful mystics and oracles are not so eager to follow blindly a girl from the Motallebzadeh dynasty which is believed to be cursed by wars and tragedy at this point. Beyond all the country problem, Birone is a city of legends and his citizens are masters of illusion and elemental magic. The city is located in the caldera of a supervolcano, the sultan family has mastered since ancient time how to harvest the power of the volcano to forge weapons, cast mystic spells and conjure powerful elementals to their service. That's the main reason the nobles are still following the Motallebzadeh family, they fear their elemental powers. The surrounding of Birone is abundant in gems, the mines are vast, deep and show no signs of getting depleted even after thousands of year of mining. The Motallebzadeh family is without a doubt, the richest family of the modern world, even beyond anything Empress Helena looted form all her conquests. Bakenmoor Title: Depths of Bakenmoor Capital: Gardalia, the underworld fortress Alignment: LG Ruler: King Norag Bolin "Battle Axe" Important personalities: TBD Language: Terran, Selarya (Common) Religion: Miranas, Eryka Gardalia is believed to be the center of the underworld. An impressive dwarven bastion, that is the last line of defense against the wicked creature living in the deepest part of the world such as blood elves, beholders, intellect devourers, deep dragons, demons and worst. The population of Gardalia is very cosmopolite, this is where all races of the underworld meet to trade such as dwarves, gnomes, halflings, humans and even peaceful blood elves. The dwarves of the city are known to be master crafters and miners, capable of creating the strongest and most reliable weapons a warrior can wish for. The mines of the kingdom of Bakenmoor are known to go as deep as 20 km under the surface. Bakenmoor is actually as vast as the Selarya empire, but underground, only a small part of it is located at the surface, south of Yuukan. Bakenmoor underground territory is a series of caverns, vaults, passages, fortress, halls, underground cities, ancient dungeons all connected together through a vast network of tunnels.

[MoonZar]

The Minor Kingdoms Darakya Darakya doesn't have a central government. Clusters of towns are controlled by a local despot or warlord, and the few large cities are ruled by a more dominant overlord. Regardless of their current strength, these lords don't have the resources to expand into more territories. Any tyrant foolish enough to claim himself the King of the land, was quickly destroyed by all the other lords who joined forces to kill him for his hubris. In the last decades, the geo-politics stabilized because the towns were forced to collaborate for trading and fight together larger threats like occasional dragons, giants, orcs and ... undead. Still, occasional skirmishes and assassinations are common between the chiefs. Pirates have relationships with many coastal towns, relying on them to resupply and those towns rely on them for trade since merchants don't travel much in those treacherous water. There are many gods worshipped in the north, such as Orog god of strength and giants, Nanyl goddess of death, Vangelysa goddess of storms and mountains, and the goddess of war Xydanyël are the most visible. The first great civilization to have tamed those lands was the great elvish empire, at the height of their might they controlled the continent. After their decline, giants and cyclopes took over and enslaved all the smaller races in the north and built some of the tallest monuments ever seen in the world. Eventually, an uprising of slaves led by Xydanyël who became the goddess of war defeated the giants. A northern kingdom with a mining and hunting culture rose from the ashes of this conflict, but an eternal cycle of wars and a great undead plague eventually got rid of that culture as well. Since then nobody could become strong enough to claim the throne of Darakya.