Iontassia

Sketch of Iontassia by tumblr user @thewatchau

Iontassia is a continent along the equator of the Mortal Realm, and also includes a large segment of the islands to its northeast. The vast majority of the continent is under the authority of the Iontassian Union.

## Name Origin

Prior to the rise of the Iontassian Union, Iontassia used to be known as Iontas. The Iontassian Union derived their name from the original name of the continent. However, when the Union expanded to cover the entire continent, the term “Iontassia” began to be used to refer to both the empire and the landmass it occupied, especially by foreigners.

This pattern continues to this day; as a general rule, people outside of the continent refer to it as Iontassia, while people living on the continent refer to it as Iontas.

## History

I have done very little so far to flesh out Iontassia’s history before the mercantilist period that dominates the part of its history relevant to this AU.

At some point in Tirónar’s Ancient History, several ships from the southernmost nations of the continent (modern-day Grancinco and Tandeli) attempted to sail beyond the Southern Sea and washed up on the northeastern islands of Iontassia. The people group that resulted spoke a language extremely similar to that of Grancinco and passed down generations of stories about the magic found in Tirónar.

It seems unlikely that the northernmost regions of Iontassia were not at least semi aware of the people groups across the northern channel in Senfara, but the two continents didn’t seem to acknowledge each other officially until Senfaran nations began to launch trade expeditions to other continents. When the nations of Iontassia, Senfara, and the Unnamed Continent were “officially” introduced through these trade ships from Senfara, the results were not always friendly. Senfara was deep in its mercantile age as its nations raced for new resources and territories, prompting several attempts to take over parts of both continents. However, the nations of Iontassia and the Unnamed Continent stood their ground, and after several years, Senfaran nations switched to inviting the nations of Iontassia and the Unnamed Continent into profitable trade relationships instead. This would pull both Iontassia and the Unnamed Continent into Senfara’s power race, prompting a similar push for power among their own nations to keep up.

In Iontassia, this would lead to the rise of the Iontassian Union, a nation-state that slowly took over most of the eponymous continent and many of its surrounding islands, including those populated by the descendants of stranded travelers from southern Tirónar. All territories controlled by the Iontassian Union were heavily encouraged to focus on trade and seafaring, especially once Waldren’s “discovery” of Tirónar gave several Senfaran nations a near-overnight surge in power. Even piracy was subtly encouraged by the Iontassian Union, so long as it targeted Waldren ships.

However, Waldren’s political manipulation for its own benefit would eventually draw Senfaran nations into a far more internal struggle against each other, leaving Iontassia and the Unnamed Continent at a long-term advantage. By the time Waldren abandoned Tirónar in 1500, the Iontassian Union had been the leading power among the three central continents for at least a century and controlled nearly all of Iontassia and its northeastern islands.

However, this period at the end of the Waldren Occupation seemed to be the peak of the Iontassian Union’s complete power over Iontassia. Cracks began to show soon after Waldren’s fall from grace when the pirates- previously endorsed by the Union’s government- started identifying Iontassian ships as the new most profitable target on the seas. This piracy issue continues to this day.

In addition, many of the people groups who had been taken over by the Iontassian Union took inspiration from the eviction of Waldren from Tirónar and began pushing against the empire’s control. Since Iontassia is a huge continent, the Union was already stretched thin, and had little choice but to allow these groups to assert their own authority. Many did this in the form of establishing local governments while still reporting to the Iontassian Union in name. Others established independence entirely.

One of the most well-known examples is the islands of Las Buscadoras, the islands where people from southern Tirónar had been stranded so many centuries before. It declared its independence in 1611. Oddly enough, this kingdom took more inspiration from Leyfel than the countries of Tirónar where its people originated, likely due to Leyfel’s affinity for both seafaring and mysteries. This is one of the more high-profile departures from the Iontassian Union, and will likely inspire other groups to break away from the empire over the next several years, or possible decades.

### Modern Day

The Iontassian Union is probably also about to slowly shake apart.While the secession of the island nation of Las Buscadoras was not the first time a group in Iontassia got independence from the Union, it was one of the more high-profile instances. It’s very likely that many other groups will follow suit over the next several years, or possibly decades

## Geography

Iontassia is located in the southern hemisphere of the Mortal Realm. It lies to the south of the continent of Senfara.

The western coast of Iontassia and its many islands are bordered by the Southern Sea, which is characterized by summer tropical storms that travel north along Iontassia’s coastline between April and October. These storms usually hit the islands the hardest before passing further north to cause the rainy season in southern Tirónar and then fizzle out somewhere along Tirónar’s western coast.

## Culture

### Language

The Common Tongue is spoken as a trade language in Iontassia, but it is not the primary language of the continent.

The official languages of most Iontassian people groups have never been officially described in canon. Only the island of Las Buscadoras has a canonically established language - that being a variant of the Spanish-adjacent language spoken in Grancinco and Tandeli.

### Magic

Iontassia has a much higher amount of magic in its ecosystem compared to Senfara, although it’s nothing compared to the amount of magic found in Tirónar. Magic is a generally accepted fact of life, and Fae Gardens can appear anywhere on the continent.

## Iontassian Union

The Iontassian Union is a large empire on the continent of Iontassia which rules the vast majority of the mainland continent and a large number of the islands.

### Name Origin

The Iontassian Union derives its name from “Iontas,” the original name of the continent of Iontassia and the name still used by most who live on the continent. As a general rule, only foreigners refer to the continent as “Iontassia,” causing some confusion between the landmass and the empire that occupies it.

### History

It seems unlikely that the northernmost regions of Iontassia were not at least semi aware of the people groups across the northern channel in Senfara, but the two continents didn’t seem to acknowledge each other officially until Senfaran nations began to launch trade expeditions to other continents. When the nations of Iontassia, Senfara, and the Unnamed Continent were “officially” introduced through these trade ships from Senfara, the results were not always friendly. Senfara was deep in its mercantile age as its nations raced for new resources and territories, prompting several attempts to take over parts of both continents. However, the nations of Iontassia and the Unnamed Continent stood their ground, and after several years, Senfaran nations switched to inviting the nations of Iontassia and the Unnamed Continent into profitable trade relationships instead. This would pull both Iontassia and the Unnamed Continent into Senfara’s power race, prompting a similar push for power among their own nations to keep up.

All canon lore about the Iontassian Union begins around the time of Senfara’s mercantilist age, when nations of the northern continent engaged in a power struggle amongst themselves. One of the means through which Senfaran nations tried to establish power was through economic and trade superiority, resulting in the “discovery” of Iontassia and the Unnamed Continent. This initial introduction between the three continents was hardly friendly, as Senfaran nations attempted on several occasions to take over parts of both continents in their race for new resources and territories. However, the nations of Iontassia stood their ground, and after several years, Senfaran nations switched to inviting the nations of Iontassia and the Unnamed Continent into profitable trade relationships instead. This would pull both Iontassia and the Unnamed Continent into Senfara’s power race, prompting a similar push for power among their own nations to keep up.

In Iontassia, this would lead to the rise of the Iontassian Union, a nation-state that slowly took over most of the eponymous continent and many of its surrounding islands, including those that would eventually become Las Buscadoras. All territories controlled by the Iontassian Union were heavily encouraged to focus on trade and seafaring, especially once Waldren’s “discovery” of Tirónar gave several Senfaran nations a near-overnight surge in power. Even piracy was subtly encouraged by the Iontassian Union, so long as it targeted Waldren ships.

Early in this push to imitate Waldren’s success, Iontassian ships discovered the Frozen Wastes, an icy continent on the southern pole of the Mortal Realm. The Iontassian Union immediately attempted to annex this territory. However, with little knowledge of how to survive in such a desolate tundra, everyone sent to colonize the Frozen Wastes from Iontassia died before any meaningful foothold was established. Soon afterwards, the Iontassian Union gave up on turning the Frozen Wastes into a source of power and, to save face, began pretending that they had never tried to do so in the first place.

Despite this, Waldren’s political manipulation for its own benefit would eventually draw Senfaran nations into a far more internal struggle against each other, leaving Iontassia and the Unnamed Continent at a long-term advantage. By the time Waldren abandoned Tirónar in 1500, the Iontassian Union had been the leading power among the three central continents for at least a century and controlled nearly all of Iontassia and its northeastern islands.

However, this period at the end of the Waldren Occupation seemed to be the peak of the Iontassian Union’s complete power over Iontassia. Cracks began to show soon after Waldren’s fall from grace when the pirates- previously endorsed by the Union’s government- started identifying Iontassian ships as the new most profitable target on the seas. This piracy issue continues to this day.

In addition, many of the people groups who had been taken over by the Iontassian Union took inspiration from the eviction of Waldren from Tirónar and began pushing against the empire’s control. Since Iontassia is a huge continent, the Union was already stretched thin, and had little choice but to allow these groups to assert their own authority. Many did this in the form of establishing local governments while still reporting to the Iontassian Union in name.

Other people groups established independence entirely, including the recent secession of the island nation of Las Buscadoras. While Las Buscadoras was not the first time a group in Iontassia got independence from the Union, it was one of the more high-profile instances, and will likely inspire other groups to follow suit. As a result, the Iontassian Union seems likely to slowly shake apart into several separate nation states over the next several years, or possibly decades.

### Geography

The Iontassian Union covers the majority of the continent of Iontassia, which is located in the southern hemisphere of the Mortal Realm. The western coast of Iontassia and its many islands are bordered by the Southern Sea, which is characterized by summer tropical storms that travel north along Iontassia’s coastline between April and October. These storms usually hit the islands the hardest before passing further north to cause the rainy season in southern Tirónar and then fizzle out somewhere along Tirónar’s western coast.

### Culture

The Iontassian Union is made up of dozens, if not hundreds of unique cultures that populated the continent of Iontassia. Like many empires, the Union had a policy of absorbing local cultures into its own cultural identity, allowing the annexed people groups to keep their traditions while retaining a sense of unity and allegiance.

#### Language

The common tongue is spoken in the Iontassian Union as a trade language. The primary language of this nation has never been established in cannon. However, due to the amount of diverse cultures within the empire, it’s unlikely that any “official language” would be the only tongue spoken in the empire, or even the most common one.

#### Magic

Due to the diversity in the Iontassian Union, perspectives on magic vary heavily from place to place. Iontassia is a relatively magical continent compared to Senfara, with the potential to infrequently manifest Fae Gardens anywhere on the continent. As a result, the existence of magic is a widely accepted fact, and mages are fairly common. However, different cultures will have different perspectives on how magic should be used, its origins, and whether it’s a force to be feared, worshiped, studied, embraced, etc. Historically, the official state policy of the Iontassian Union has been to encourage any form of magic used to grant them an advantage in the tri-continental power struggle, but otherwise remain silent on the more nuanced, culturally dissonant perspectives of magic that might upset the people groups it ruled over.

### Trivia

* The Iontassian Union is loosely based around the irl entertainment company, “Buzzfeed,” which manages several diverse content creators under its umbrella and has a reputation for taking content from other sites for its articles without proper sourcing or permission.

## Las Buscadoras

Las Buscadoras is a group of independent barrier islands in northeastern Iontassia.

### History

#### Pre-Iontassian Union

At some point in Tirónar’s Ancient History, several ships from the southernmost nations of the continent (modern-day Grancinco and Tandeli) attempted to sail beyond the Southern Sea and washed up on the northeastern islands of Iontassia. The people group that resulted spoke a language extremely similar to that of Grancinco and passed down generations of stories about the magic found in Tirónar.

#### Rise of the Iontassian Union

During Waldren’s rise to power, the Iontassian Union was also colonizing the northeastern islands of Iontassia, including the islands that would eventually become Las Buscadoras. This mercantilism and imperialism was the result of a race among global powers on Senfara, Iontassia, and the Unnamed Continent for land, wealth, or just power in general. Trade companies like Waldren and state powers like the Iontassian Union were competing against each other to amass as much land and influence as possible, resulting in the latter’s conquest of the islands.

During this period, the islands that would eventually make up Las Buscadoras were annexed by the Iontassian Union. Initially, this alliance was a mutual agreement for protection and trade partnerships. However, as the Iontassian Union grew in power, it eventually became clear that it ruled the islands in all but name, and even that degree of separation would only remain for another decade or so. While no exact canonical timeline has been established for the Iontassina Union’s rise to power, the isles of Las Buscadoras would have been first officially considered part of the Iontassian Union sometime between the year 1000 and 1200.

All territories controlled by the Iontassian Union were heavily encouraged to focus on trade and seafaring, especially with Waldren’s “discovery” of Tirónar cerca 1000 granting several Senfaran nations a near-overnight surge in power. Even piracy was subtly encouraged by the Iontassian Union, so long as it targeted Waldren ships. Centuries later, when Waldren’s political manipulation for its own benefit began to pit Senfaran nations against each other, the nations of Iontassia and the Unnamed Continent were left at a long-term advantage. By the time Waldren abandoned Tirónar in 1500, the Iontassian Union had been the leading power among the three central continents for at least a century and controlled nearly all of Iontassia and its northeastern islands. Throughout this entire period, the islands that would eventually become Las Buscadoras were participants in the trade enterprises of the Iontassian Union, particularly in shipbuilding.

#### Decline of the Iontassian Union

Tirónar’s eviction of the Waldren Trade Enterprise in 1500 would also begin to inspire several people groups in Iontassia to desire independence from the Iontassian Union. In addition, the same pirates that were originally hired by the Iontassian Union began identifying the Union’s trade ships as the most profitable vessels on the seas and targeted them accordingly. Combined with the size of the Iontassian Union’s domain, the Iontassian Union was unable to exert its authority everywhere at the same time, leaving these new ideas of secession more or less unchallenged.

By the mid-1500s, ships from the nations of Tirónar began to make their way to the shores of Iontassia, especially those from Leyfel, the last island to be vacated by Waldren in 1500. This connection with Leyfel likely had a role in the development of Las Buscadoras’s seafaring and mystery-confronting culture, or at least the form it takes in the modern day.

In addition, during this period, the sea-based economy of Las Buscadoras and the export-heavy economy of Grancinco would lead these two groups to interact. While obviously Las Buscadoras had its own culture and language after centuries away from Grancinco and its own unique history in Iontassia, the reunion between these people groups prompted a surge of interest about the islands’ history apart from the Iontassian Union.

#### Independence

All of these factors would eventually prompt Las Buscadoras to establish its own local government in 1611, distinct from that of the Iontassian Union, though with some Iontassian influence. While Las Buscadoras was still technically part of the Iontassian Union at this time, most people consider this to be the date of Las Buscadoras’s founding.

Soon afterwards, the islands began pushing for true independence from the Iontassian Union. As one excerpt from a 1613 proclamation states:

> “In a surprising turn of events, a string of barrier islands off the coast of Iontas has ceded from the greater Iontassian Union to form the Las Buscadoras Federation. Rebellion had been brewing since the islands’ founding, with demonstrations like the famous “Goatman’s Bridge Incident” causing the movement to gain traction. Rather than deal with an all-out war, the Iontassian government allowed the leaders of Las Buscadoras- Lord Ryan Bergara and Lord Shane Madej- some sovereignty in exchange for peace.”
>
>

With peace achieved, the Iontassians left Las Buscadoras to their own devices, ushering in a peaceful time.

Lords Shane Madej and Ryan Bergara of the island Las Buscadoras officially announced their secession from the greater Iontassian Union in December 1614, announcing a new government that will be headed entirely by the Lords, along with their associate and fellow former Iontassian Lord Steven Lim. This new government was very similar to the one previously established in 1611, barring the addition of a third lord and the complete removal of all authority from the Iontassian Union.

The secession was officially finalized in January of 1615. While the official split was somewhat messy, the aftermath has been relatively smooth. Las Buscadoras continues to trade heavily with the Iontassian Union in order to maintain a good relationship with the much larger country, but now has a wide network of other trade partners around the Mortal Realm with whom they thrive.

Listed below are some reports regarding the modern history of Las Buscadoras:
Independence Announcement

### Geography

Las Buscadoras is found on three barrier islands off the western coast of Iontassia; from north to south, they’re called Isla Punta, Isla Pantano, and Isla Mirada. Isla Mirada is the largest of the three islands and features Las Buscadoras’s capital city, three naval bases, and three lighthouses. Isla Patano features one naval base and one lighthouse, while Isla Punta only features one lighthouse.
These islands are surrounded by the Southern Sea, which is characterized by summer tropical storms that travel north along Iontassia’s coastline between April and October. These storms usually hit the islands the hardest before passing further north to cause the rainy season in southern Tirónar and then fizzle out somewhere along Tirónar’s western coast.

### Economy

Founded in 1611, Las Buscadoras specializes in trade. As such, they have a major pirate problem. Their economy is also based on fishing and boat building, with many lighthouses dotted along the islands to grant safe passage to those ships.

### Culture

Perhaps because of the pirates, or perhaps because of the difficulty of navigation around the barrier islands, Las Buscadoras has entered local legend as cursed land. More ships disappear here than in any other part of the ocean. Local culture thrives on ghost stories, and many young sailors dream of traveling the world in search of adventures like those they grew up with.

The more recent connection with Leyfel likely had a role in the development of Las Buscadoras’s seafaring and mystery-confronting culture, or at least the form it takes in the modern day. The crucial difference is that Leyfel likes to uncover these mysteries, while Las Buscadoras prefers to leave some things unclear. In addition, some of these narratives are likely a defensive tactic that allows Las Buscadoras to pursue their own seafaring endeavors without outside interference. While Leyfel was abandoned by their “mother country” and doesn’t have to worry about their return, Las Buscadoras still lives under the shadow of the Iontassian Union. The curse narrative is likely, at least in part, a tactic to discourage an Iontassian attempt to reclaim the islands.

### Language

The sea-based economy of Las Buscadoras resulted in some cultural diffusion the seafarers of these barrier islands and the export-heavy economy of Grancinco. As a result, the Spanish-based language of Grancinco is also spoken in Las Buscadoras. In fact, this language difference between the islands and the mainland became almost a symbolic distinction between Las Buscadoras and the Iontassian Union; hence why they chose to name their newly independent region in this language.

### Magic

The islands of Las Buscadoras off the continent of Iontassia are known for strange occurrences, leading to a narrative of the isles being “cursed.” To quote the original post on this country:

In addition, it’s likely that Las Buscadoras features several aquatic fae gardens. Las Buscadoras has a mixed opinion on magical matters, far more accepting in comparison to the nations of Senfara, but less universally accepting of magic’s more supernatural elements compared to Duilintinn. Therefore, I doubt that all of these strange occurrences are due to magic; otherwise, the other non-magical perspectives found on the isles would be less convincing or realistic. That being said, it would make sense if there were at least a few marine Fae Gardens contributing to these strange circumstances around the islands.

### Trivia

Las Buscadoras was created by @marginmaster87​​​, based on Buzzfeed Unsolved and, later, Watcher Entertainment. The Iontassian Union is a reference to a larger power, based on the entire Buzzfeed conglomerate.