Nostvar

Nostvar, the western continent, is the most well-explored part of the known world and is the origin point of all known civilization. These ancient lands have been eyewitness to all history since the beginning of time, shrouded in myth and mystery. It was in these lands that the Lifegiver first kindled sapient life upon Zëmel, and it is here that the first of the Prophet-Heroes were raised up to protect the world from the threat of the Cult of Akan.

## Geography

The continent of Nostvar, on the western edge of the map. Click to expand.

## Races and Cultures

Nostvar is home to millions of peoples of diverse backgrounds, descendants of Siëmos and Eglaiva the Firstborn, the first man and the first woman. With the end of the Blooded Ages, the race of men was scattered to all corners of the world, and, through the transfigurative action of the Lifegiver, was transformed into several different races. The tongues of men were also confused in this time, such that every tribe spoke a unique language and practiced their own customs. The races of Nostvar are as follows.

### Men

The race of men on Nostvar is separated into several subgroups, which themselves may be further subdivided into different tribes:

#### **Nostvarians**

The Nostvarians, as their name suggests, are the native men of Nostvar, descended from the original followers of Gaudatas the Winterking. They are united by similar language and customs, as well as their devotion to the Lifegiver and rejection of Akan and his necromantic followers. The Nostvarians lived simply and in relative peace for several thousand years after the Blooded Ages along the rivers and lakes of central Nostvar, before the rise of the Dark Elven Hegemony forced them into slavery. But the Lifegiver and the immortal Winterking, sleeping now in the far northern territory of the Rim, promised them a new Prophet-King, a hero to deliver them into freedom once more. This hero was Tihomir the Strong: Once the champion of the Hegemon's arena, Tihomir's rebellion led to the overthrow of the elves, the foundation of the Empire of Nostvar, and knocked the Cult of Akan back on its heels for another two-and-a-half thousand years. As the Second Cycle of history draws to a close, the once mighty Empire is now highly decentralized, separated into three squabbling principalities. The formal imperial seat at Khariskos retains a position of honor, as well as two subject duchies (the Duchy of Alaria and the Duchy of Kalinika) and the nominal fealty of the Kingdom of New Strochia, but is a mere shadow of its former stature. The citizens of the three empires have since developed their own unique cultures. These are the East Nostvarians - citizens of the former core of the empire; the Chrysomians - men of the southern empire; and the Palatinians - who dwell in the thick forests and rolling plains of what was once the western imperial frontier.

#### **Strochai**

The Strochai, sometimes called Men of the East or the Rockfolk are recent arrivals in Nostvar. Denizens of Old Strochia, and having more in common culturally with the men of the continent of Lyonesse, the fierce Strochai originally came to Nostvar as raiders. But a discerning Emperor some 200 years ago instead decided to offer them relatively unused land along the east coast, where they developed a kingdom of their own under the suzerainty of the Empire. These lands came to be known as the Kingdom of New Strochia, as opposed to the island of Old Strochia (also known simply as the Rock) across the sea. Strochish mercenaries have served with distinction in the Imperial Army for centuries, prized even before the establishment of the kingdom.

#### **Kessites**

The men of the south are a unique culture with little in common between them and the rest of the people of Nostvar. However, they are devoted servants of the Lifegiver and have been faithful allies of the Empire since they protected Tihomir the Strong from the Hegemony during his rebellion. Their Republic of Kesset is a seafaring empire, plying trade routes from Nostvar to Lyonesse and far beyond. The Kessites are renowned explorers and sailors, fearless warriors, and fiercely independent. Indeed, in the days of Tihomir it was the might of their storied fleet that protected them from the forces of the Hegemony for so long. Though a republic in name, Kesset is not a true democracy: Elections are restricted to several main noble houses and, generally, the position of the high executive and head of state is reserved for the Anben family, whose righteous rule has led to their almost-unopposed rule of Kesset for generations.

#### **Pojanians**

The barbarian tribes of the northwest serve no men but themselves, and are sworn enemies of the Lifegiver. Raiders, slavers, and pirates, the Pojanians name themselves the enemies of civilization - and what's more they revel in it. Though they are not themselves direct worshipers of Akan, they have, at different times, aligned themselves with the Cult in various ways: In the days leading up to Tihomir's Rebellion, the Pojanians were the principal slave traders of the Hegemony. That being said, the various gods of the Pojanian pantheon are known to be the disembodied spirits of some of the most ancient and powerful necromancer lords. It is through them that they interact, indirectly, with the deathlord himself.

### Elves

The elves are a rustic folk, not as wise or ingenious as men, but unrivaled in their athletic prowess. The elves of Nostvar are also split into two groups. At one point there were three tribes of elves in Nostvar, but the Wood Elves or Wild Elves, battered and bloodied over the course of Tihomir's Rebellion, retreated to the forests of Lyonesse after the war.

#### **Sauromatae**

The Sauromatae as they call themselves in their own tongue are known variously by their neighbors as the Plains Elves, the Horseborne - Horselords of the great western plains. Serving the Lifegiver in their own unique way, the proud Sauromatae were no friends of their Dark Elven cousins in the years of Tihomir's Rebellion. They joined him enthusiastically in his struggle against the Hegemony, but suffered greatly as result. Nevertheless, the horselords survived the war and continue to live out their ancient way of life on the plains, continual, yet distant, allies of the Empire.

#### **High Elves/Dark Elves**

The High Elves, as they call themselves, are known to their enemies as the Dark Elves. They are not true elves at all, but rather half-elves, offspring of the ancient Wood Elf tribes of the north and primitive Nostvarians. Possessing both the intellect of men and the agility and athleticism of the elves, they were always a force to be reckoned with, and so were regarded with a degree of mistrust by their human and elven cousins. Striking out for themselves to found a city of their own, they dedicated themselves to the study of the universe and its secrets. But as often happens to those who delve into the mysteries of the world, the High Elves went far deeper than they should have. By chance, or perhaps by some evil design, they discovered long-forgotten tomes containing describing the long-forgotten Black Arts of Akan. The death cult, dormant for centuries since its defeat by the Winterking, saw a renaissance under their reign. Using the dark powers of necromancy, the Dark Elves founded the Hegemony, enslaving Wood Elves and Nostvarians alike. In the days after Tihomir's Rebellion, the Dark Elves were given a choice: Renounce the Black Arts, return to the worship of the Lifegiver, and relocate to a chosen piece of land under the sovereignty of the new Emperor, or be banished to parts unknown. So deep was the corruption of the Dark Elves that only a few remained. Those that did now mostly devote their lives to the peaceful study of philosophy, theology, and history, while trying to rekindle healthy relations with the peoples they had once enslaved.

### Dwarves

The dwarves of Nostvar, hailing from the Kingdom of Zwergheim, are a secretive people, preferring to busy themselves with their own affairs rather than become entangled in the webs of politics and war of elves and men. That being said, they do own a colony across the sea in Lyonesse, and despite their official neutrality, are only too happy to trade their famous metalwork to anybody willing to pay for it. Their relations with the Empire in the west remain cordial, but aloof. For more information about the New Zwergheim colony, please see their article (Work in Progress!).