Lands Around Liminal
Contents
Rinhony
The continent upon which Liminal sits is called Rinhony.
The Delannwood
The greatest forest on Rinhony, the Delannwood is a long, snaking expanse of old growth forest to the south and east of Liminal. In some areas, the woods are so thick that the canopy is almost impossible to see through to the sky above. The Delannwood is home to a number of peoples and nations, including:
- The Delann Elves: X
- Shifter Tribes: X
- The Tanglewood Orcs: X
Tamous
South of Liminal is the military nation of Tamous, ruled by a powerful king, AEdomyr Ylrannin. Their society is distinctly feudal, backed by noble houses, knightly orders and a particularly militaristic church called the Faith of the Throne, which worships Aevo as the father of the goddesses Khoro and Sacrista (their local incarnation of the Red Lady). Tamous considers itself a civilizing influence, and they are known for their expansionistic and militaristic ways.
Empire of the Nine
Once nine separate kingdoms ruled by sorcerer-kings, the Empire of the Nine (to Liminal's northeast) was founded by Taldiress, the First Adhalmagus, a cultural hero who formed joined all the sorcerer-kings into a single House. In the days since, the Nine Kingdoms have remained functionally separate, each ruled by an arcane sovereign, as in the old days, with one exception - all such sovereigns come from House Taldiress, and all bow to the Adhalmagus, the Emperor-Mage. Powerful magicians in the Empire are usually married or adopted into House Taldiress, while lesser magicians are given spots in the various orders and organizations of the Empire. What they are not permitted to do is not be affiliated with the House of the Adhalmagus.
Almanni
An insular and reclusive nation to Liminal's north, Almanni is a parliamentary monarchy. In the last two centuries, theocratic zealots seized control of the parliament. Now the nation's king must do everything in his power to maintain a strict adherence to the nation's orthodoxy. The parliament is also in command of a bureaucratic order who constantly test the peoples of Almanni for the presence of heresy - this inquisitional force is, in many ways, the true power in the nation of Almanni.
The Badlands
A broad, wind-swepped steppe to the west and north of Liminal, the Badlands are widely considered unsettle-able. The soil is poor and water is scarce, to say nothing of the many tribes who wander its hills.
The River Kingdoms
The stretch of plains to the west of Liminal (south of the Badlands) is criss-crossed by a number of rivers that flow out of the Badlands and the Sunset Peaks, south into the Empire of the Nine. These fertile lands are home to a handful of city-states and small kingdoms. Some of these kingdoms include:
- Astrapola: A small kingdom, at the center of which is the Citadel of the Eye, the center of the cult of the Starry Wisdoms. The foremost academy for astrologers in Rinhony, the upper echelons of the Citadel are those warlocks who have contacted the Starry Wisdoms themselves.
- Dorvaer: The so-called Farmer Ladies of Dorvaer wield great power for a simple reason: they are the bread basket of the River Kingdoms. A kingdom ruled by a small collection of agricultural nobility, Dorvaer worships the Two Mothers (Edyma and Ulandira). The rulers of the lands are all women, as well, for its people maintain that the proper functioning of a farmstead - the man tends and protects the land, while the wife nurtures and runs the household - should apply to the running of a nation as well.
The Sunset Peaks
A long range of mountains along the western edge of Rinhony on the other side of the River Kingdoms from Liminal, the Sunset Peaks were once the center of a great dwarven kingdom before the Fall of the Dwarven Kings. Now, the ancient citadels are in the control of the Merchant Guilds, with trading towns at the base of the mountains.
X
X
X
X
Iokha
A continent made up of island chains across the western sea from Rinhony, Iokha is known as the Land of Dragons. It is said that dragons first came into the world there on that massive continent, and it is home to the ancient dragonborn empires. Only occasionally do traders from Iokha come to the western coast of Rinhony, usually in great dragon-shaped ships. It is known that the Iokhani worship the god Aevo in an aspect called Iov, the Father of Dragons; they may also worship other powers, who may be primal spirits, or simply gods in draconic aspects.
Kylin Garr
Called the Blasted Lands, Kylin Garr is found northeasterly of Rinhony. A sere-burnt landscape of sharp, jagged ashen rocks, deserts and salt marshes, Kylin Garr was destroyed generations ago by magical devastation. It is believed that the ancestors of the sorcerer-kings of the Empire of the Nine came across the sea to Rinhony fleeing that destruction. Little is known about the place in this age: there is nothing there the other continents want, and whatever peoples dwell there now do not seem to be interested in (or perhaps able to) leave it.
Other Continents
Sages claim that there are other continents, to the south of Rinhony, and some beyond the other known continents. But the distances are so great that they are effectively the stuff of legend.