The Lore of Ocveris

## **The (Basic) Lore**

*FtA* takes place in a fictional 1950s-esc world called Ocveris. Unlike the 50s in our universe, the *Cold War* ended the moment it began via a total war that forced both factions on each hemisphere to collapse. The RP itself takes place after the great collapse, where new nations would rise from the remains of the old factions. Each side must face their own, unique problems in the way of geopolitical influence, or collapse just as their predecessors once did. The world, before the collapse, was divided into two political spheres of influence:

### **The West**

The West In the Western Hemisphere was the Great Atheran Empire. Founded on the continent of Athera, the Empire would expand its territory across the continents of Atle and Soltide, while using its client kingdoms and colonies to oppress the native peoples of those continents. Before the great collapse, the Atherans had launched an invasion of the East, which would result in the ultimate collapse of the empire. Nations RPing from this side of the world might be: a Warlord State that claims to be the Successor of the Empire, a former colony/territory that gained independence through revolution, a Puppet state/kingdom that was overthrown, or simply cut off from their former trade partners.

### **The East**

The East The Eastern Hemisphere, in contrast to the west, was an economic bloc of "free" nations called the Eastern Union. The Eastern Union had a variety of governments from republics, federations, and constitutional monarchies. In comparison to the Atheran Empire, the Union was a recent concept that had a golden age of its own, however, all good things must come to an end. The Eastern Union was invaded by the Atheran Empire decades ago, and though they had repelled the invaders, the Union's economy was left in ruins, causing some nations to collapse. Ultimately, the Union was forced to dissolve as unity between the free countries could no longer be maintained. Through a single treaty overnight, several independent states were created. Nations RPing from this side of the world may face: Economic depression due to the disappearance of global trade, rise of extremist movements, from communism to fascism, complete distrust from your neighbors, monopolies and bad economics via hypercapitalism, rise of nationalist sentiments that will re-ignite old ethnic divisions (get Balkanized).

## **The Continents of Ocveris**

### **Athera**

Said to be the birthplace of the Empire, Athera is a region fit for the founding of great nations, although, the ancient city on which the empire was founded has been lost to time and a history of changing politics. Its rich soil and climate have been a big factor in Athera's development, allowing them to develop cash crops (such as tobacco and cotton) which only bolstered its historically wealthy economy.

### **Atle**

Ironically, and contrary to the Empire's claims, there have been records of the earliest human civilizations being founded on the continent of Atle. Making many claims it is the true birthplace of humanity. Historically, however, these civilizations were limited to the north, as the most developed of which relied on the trade routes from Athera throughout history. South of its mountains, and that of the great desert, were several undeveloped tribes that were isolated from the rest of the world until the Colonial era, who were subject to enslavement by northern Atleans and Atherans alike. Today, the continent is widely known for its abundance of fossil fuels rather than its history.

### **Soltide**

Soltide is home to the largest temperate rainforest in the entire world, making its terrain difficult to explore. Though there have been records of many ancient civilizations, and a few kingdoms that have existed even after their occupation by the empire, many of which were limited to the coasts of the continent, leaving most of the inland unexplored. It is said that within its rainforests are vast veins of precious metals, especially gold--yet no discovery of these mystical deposits has been made.

### **West Orent**

For the longest time, the West Orent has been considered a frontier region to the Empire, and even to those on the opposite side of the large continent. Yet beneath its vast temperate forests are major deposits of metals, especially iron, and coal. Many have fought over these metals, from the colonists of the empire to the natives of West Orent, creating many cultural divides in the region that still last to this day.

### **East Orent**

On its own, the East Orent is considered the largest continent of Ocveris. It is also considered the most self-sufficient. Historically, the East Orent had everything it needed: vast fields for farmland, an abundance of metals, rivers, and a desert with its own fossil fuel sources. In many ways, it is very similar to Athera, but with a much different path in history. Historically, the Orent was divided into multiple kingdoms, most of which had lost their relevance after the Revolutionary Period almost a century ago. These Revolutions saw many kingdoms turn into democracies and were a major contributor to the Union's founding.

### **Hyalis**

An outback country isolated from the rest of the world. It is hot, humid, and mostly tropical. Yet to the surprise of everyone the Colonial Era, was void of human life. Modern scientists have found records of a different species of subhuman that had died on the continent so long ago. All nations founded on Hyalis were former colonies from the Orent so long ago, and civilization on that continent remains relatively new, dating back only a few centuries ago. Regardless, much of the continent remains as backwater territory, often being neglected by its former allies during and after the days of the Union.

## **The Eras of Ocveris**

Recorded history on Ocveris only dates back to the last ten-thousand years, and the more you learn, the more convoluted its history gets. Learning the overall history between the two continents, and that of their respective superpowers has been difficult for most scholars, given the different calendars and political hurdles historians and archeologists come across in their research. So far, the recorded history of Ocveris could be split into several *eras*, which are vague timelines that experts have used to categorize certain events that have happened across the world. In chronological order, these events are:

### **The Ancient Era**

A period in which the first humans evolved from hunter-gatherer tribes to settled agricultural societies. During this period, the early civilizations would rise and fall in a cycle of feudal politics and warfare. Finding more information about the ancient era has been difficult for the historians of our world, as modern politics (especially before the great collapse) hindered their ability to accurately research and discover. One such example would be the *Atlean Diaspora*, which is another topic that will be covered later on.

### **The Colonial Era**

The Colonial Era is widely considered the starting point of modern history, as it was a golden age for the world's first global superpower: the Atheran Empire. During this period, advancements in nautical engineering and maritime travel had allowed the Atherans to discover and conquer new lands beyond their continent, including the southern regions of Atle which had been inaccessible to them prior to the Colonial era. However, the Atherans were not the first to have explored beyond their lands, as it is argued (though questionable) that the kingdoms of the East Orent had been able to travel beyond their lands since the Ancient Era, with some (obscure) records hinting at their presence in the far reaches of the Western Orent and even Hyalis.

### **The Age of Revolution**

This era has been considered to be the true end of the Ancient Era across the East, as during this period, most of Ocveris's ancient civilizations had collapsed or been absorbed. Most notable of this era, however, were the many revolutions that brought fire to the Eastern lands, seeing many old regimes overthrown or reorganized. It is during the Age of Revolution that democracy was born, as most eastern nations--especially the remnants of the Union--can trace their modern history to this era.

### **The Dilemmic Period**

The Dilemmic Period is still new, as the older generations of Ocveris can still remember its events over the last century. During this period, the Atheran Empire began to see its decline, as many of its puppet kingdoms and colonial territories have been influenced by the rise of democratic nations in the east, increasing its oppression and tyranny by the Empire. Meanwhile, in the East, the democratic nations had become an economic bloc ranging from the Orents down to Hyalis, eventually forming the Eastern Union that many can remember today. The formation of the Union was seen as a complete threat by the Empire, and for the next several decades, the tension would grow between the two hemispheres. A cold war that would end in a total war that drained both factions completely, ending the era.

### **The Great Collapse**

The Imperial-Union war, as it would be coined, saw the complete destruction of both superpowers through blood and iron. Entire cities were destroyed, industries ruined, and economies shattered. Eventually, this forced the Union to dissolve, as the scarce resources from the beaten economy had created division among its former nations. Meanwhile, in the West, the Atheran Empire would fight several insurrections alongside its conflict with the Union, eventually forcing them to end their invasion of the East too soon. Unfortunately, the invasion had left the Empire stretched too far and its resources drained, causing many of its armies to break from the empire, starting civil wars of its own. This would lead to the complete destruction of the Atheran Empire as it broke into several warlord states and rebel territories, a war most are still fighting to this day.