Vastire

Vastire is among the 30 planets that make up the Planetary Alliance. The population is divided into two races: the Vastirians and Erodians. After the Second Erodian Conflict, the Vastirians took control of the planet in the eyes of the P.A.

The Vastirians live on the Western Continent and in the Southern Countries south of the Western Continent. The Erodians live on the Eastern Continent.

## Climate

The climate of Vastire is mostly mild, with some outsiders calling it a "paradise." With an average temperature of 10 degrees C, fertile land, and small ice caps, the land doesn't provide much obstacle to civilization.

The Stormlands in the northwest, covered in a dangerous thunderstorm at all times, and some volcanoes on the Eastern Continent are truly the only "inhabitable" regions, though fewer people live in the far north and far south due to the beautiful climates between. Other inclement weather such as hurricans, typhoons, and thunderstorms due occur, but not frequently.

## Key Locations

### Western Continent

The Western Continent is inhabited by the Vastirian people.

#### Ziphyr

Ziphyr is the capital of Vastire, located on the Western Continent. Ziphyr is the primary setting for Embargo on Hope.

Key areas in Ziphyr include Hargonla (the slums), the Local District, home to the Grand Cathedral, the Spaceport, and Shard Headquarters.

#### Soquok Forest

Soquok Forest is north of Ziphyr. The Temple of Stria-Fate and Soquok's grave can be found in the forest. Darynn, Fyra, and Kaylaa travel through this forest in the events of Embargo on Hope.

#### Temple of Stria-Fate

The Temple of Stria-Fate was dedicated in the year 100 ARI. It was built as a monument by the Vastirian people to Stria-Fate's remarkable healing of the Haskar Virus that ravaged the Vastirian people earlier in the century.

However, Stria-Fate's grandson Bekivala was displeased with the Temple, and cursed it. Now, any machinery that comes near the Temple goes haywire, and supposedly people who hang around too long turn into blood-drinking Vampires.

There have been three Crusades with the intention of regaining the Temple for the people of Vastire. However, each time it was found that the effort required to maintain the Temple, not to mention the difficulties in opening the Temple itself, was not worth the losses in manpower and supplies.

##### First Crusade

The First Crusade was led by legendary Master Templar Osk Vito in 138 ARI. But they were shocked by the conditions surrounding the Temple, including the mythical Vampires, and many soldiers died before Osk Vito decided it was not worth the effort.

##### Second Crusade

The Second Crusade occurred n 204 ARI. The Grand Cardinal at the time believed faith in the Iveleen was waning in the years since Vastire joined the P.A., and therefore arranged for a military campaign to overtake the Temple. Their efforts were successful for about four months, but it is said that madness overtook many of the crusaders, and the mission was abandoned. The Crusaders were successful in opening the front door to the Temple, but did not make it any farther than that.

##### Third Crusade

The Third and final Crusade was initiated in 435 ARI. Grand Cardinal Lolandell was interested in the supposed Great Secret of the Iveleen. This time, with a constant stream of supplies and steady changeout of Crusaders, the Temple was reclaimed for six months. But again, much of that time was spent working on opening the front door, and the main chamber of the Temple was never reached. The Grand Cardinal intended to visit the Temple itself, but the Templar Warrior in charge could not guarantee his safety.

#### Pavlon Urbis

Pavlon Urbis is the second largest city on Vastire in the Khellen region on the west coast. It is the seat of the Khellen region and the home to the Lord of the Khellen. Pavlon Urbis is bordered by the Martenfall Ocean on the west, River Westfall to the north, and the Khellen Plains all around.

The Khellen Plains are the most significant food-producing region on the Western Continent, thanks to abundant rainfall caused by the Vorn Mountain Range.

At the center of Pavlon Urbis is the Complex, a massive grid of concrete skyscrapers connected to each other by skyways. A unique feature of the Complex is the lowest castes live on the lower levels while the Elites and other higher castes live on higher floors.

Major religious buildings include the West Refuge, one of the largest complexes of Ivelenian artifacts and priests, and Pavlon's Cathedral, the second largest in Vastire.

#### Dagger Isle and Dagger Bay

Dagger Isle is a thin, rocky island that can be found in Dagger Bay on the Martenfall Ocean. Dagger Isle represents the northernmost inhabited part of the Western Continent on the West Coast, as north of Dagger Bay are the impassable Stormlands. Vastirians have used Dagger Isle as a berth for ships guarding against Erodia for many years. A tall tower called the Eye of the West overlooks the sea and provides a beacon for ships to navigate the difficult waters of Dagger Bay.

### Southern Countries

The Southern Countries are considered part of the Western Continent, but they exist on their own continent south of the mainland. The Southern Countries are composed of three regions: the northern Baelic Region, the central Neck, and the southern Crow's Foot.

#### The Baelic Region

The Baelic Region is separated into two lordships: the Baelic and the Jinqir. The two lordships are separated by the Baelic Mountains and two rivers, one that runs west from the mountains into the Martenfall Ocean, and one that heads east into the Esowaith Ocean.

The Jinqir region is dominated by the Jinqir Forest nestled against the Baelic Mountains in the center of the region.

### Eastern Continent

The Eastern Continent is inhabited by the Erodian people, and is often referred to as Erodia. See Erodia for more information.

### Oceans and Major Seas

#### Esowaith Ocean

The Esowaith Ocean borders the Western Continent on the east and the Eastern Continent on the west. This ocean his hotly contested between the Erodians and Vastirians, since a major portion of the Erodian population lives on the west coast of the Eastern Continent. This is the second largest ocean on Vastire.

#### Martenfall Ocean

The Martenfall Ocean is the largest ocean on Vastire, between the east coast of the Eastern Continent and the west coast of the Western Continent. The Stormlands also border this ocean to the north.

## History

All history prior to the Rise of the Iveleen (year 0) is not well known. Prior to the Rise, the Vastirian people were nomadic savages.

### Pre-P.A. History

The Rise of the Iveleen marks the beginning of modern Vastirian history. After the Iveleen came, the Vastirians started to build cities and civilizations, including the start of the city of Ziphyr in 1 ARI.

#### The Fall of Haskar and the Haskar Rebellion

In 40 ARI, a major rebellion is led by Haskar, the top general of the Vastirian army, called the Fall of Haskar. Haskar, apparently controlled by demonic power, was able to kill two of the Iveleen's mortal bodies, Makar and Lolan, during Haskar's War. The War ended in 43 ARI. To avoid another conflict like that, the caste system is instituted by the Iveleen Pavlon. Olan, son of Haskar, is the first to be dropped to the lowest mortal caste, called the Olan-Har. From then on, any time someone commits a wicked act such as murder, that family is dropped to the Olan-Har caste. Other families were assigned to castes based on their standing with the Iveleen: Poor, Middle, Elite, or Virin-leen.

#### The First Erodian Conflict

The First Erodian Conflict occurred when the Iveleen tried to take their religion across the ocean to the Eastern Continent. The Erodians were not interested in their religion and fought back. After six years, the Iveleen decided the Vastirian lives lost were not worth the cost and ended the war.

#### The Haskar Virus

In 90 ARI, the Haskar Virus ravaged the Vastirian people, killing hundreds of thousands. A cure was finally devised by the Healer of the Iveleen, Stria-Fate. The virus was stopped six months after the initial spread, but the effort killed Stria-Fate's mortal body. The Vastirians built the Temple of Stria-Fate to commemorate her sacrifice, finishing in the year 100 ARI.

#### Bekivala and the Great Secret

Within a year of completion and dedication, the Iveleen Bekivala came to the Temple and finds it grossly underwhelming, considering his grandmother's sacrifice. He cursed the Temple grounds, ensuring that no machinery worked in its vicinity and any who came to the Temple would be transformed into a monster. Some consider the circumstances around the curse to be mysterious, and have dubbed Bekivala's motivation "The Great Secret."

#### The Second Erodian Conflict

The Second Erodian Conflict began in 220 ARI. It is disputed on whether the Vastirians or Erodians actually started the great war, but the underlying conflict was over which country would take the lead in the P.A. should Vastire join.

With their defeat in the Second Erodian Conflict, the Erodians submitted to the rule of the Vastirians. With the planet unified under one race, the planet Vastire was allowed to join the Planetary Alliance (P.A.) in 226 ARI.

### P.A. History

#### The Third Erodian Conflict

The Third Erodian Conflict started in 420 ARI, as the Erodians had grown tired of their Vastirian representation in the P.A. Thanks to the efforts of Gallant Mark and Graze Aseus, the Vastirians won the war even as the Erodians landed on the shores of the Western Continent in 425 ARI. Despite their victory, the Vastirians agreed to give the Erodians more representation in the P.A., even granting them ambassadorships (under the Vastirian Senator, of course.)

#### The Mondoon Conflict

In 480 ARI, the Mondoons attacked the Vastirians, starting the Mondoon Conflict. The Mondoons no longer had a homeworld of their own, and therefore were not allowed to be an official part of the P.A. They hoped to take over Vastire and claim it as their world, but were unsuccessful in large part due to the heroics of Zilpohn Mark.

#### The Betrayal of the Hero

In 496 ARI, Zilpohn Mark starts a rebellion, known as the Betrayal of the Hero. He gathered the poor masses of mostly Olan-Har into what was called the Traitor's Army, and marched on the Avingian Palace in Ziphyr. The Traitor's Army had a surprising amount of success, taking over most of Ziphyr before finally falling thanks to Shard involvement in front of the Avingian Palace.

#### The Embargo of Vastire

The rebellion brought attention to the conditions of the Olan-Har in the Planetary Alliance. By a narrow vote, the P.A. agreed to surround the planet with an embargo on goods and services starting in 497 ARI. No ships, except on official P.A. business, were allowed through the embargo. Ironically, the situation worsened things for the Olan-Har, as the upper classes hoarded all food and supplies. To curb that effect, the P.A. began sending shipments of essential goods to the Olan-Har districts around the Western Continent. However, those shipments were hardly effective at all, and thousands of Olan-Har died during the embargo.

See The Embargo on Vastire for more details.

## Government

The Vastirian Government consists of a King, a Lord's Council, and a number of minor nobles that control all aspects of Vastirian life. See The Virin-leen for more details.