Iscathia

Illustration by Guang-Yang [1]

Iscathia map, made with Map Generator [2] and cooltext logos [3]

**Iscathia** is a plane in which the mana flow is powerful, but corrupt. It was created by the Watermaker in 386 NKY and destroyed by him in 1633 NKY.

## Origin

Iscathia used to be a barren plane, nothing but an endless desert under the brutal heat of three suns. However, when the Watermaker arrived, he decided to make it his haven.

The Watermaker began his creation process by creating five moons and shooting them at the sky in order to absorb part of the energy of the suns and reduce their intensity. Once this was done, he used his power in order to flood the entire world, creating the Great Ocean.

From there, he began raising landmasses around the plane in order to balance the land-to-sea ratio. Once he was satisfied, he built a tower at the center of the central continent and waited to see his effort yield its rewards.

For the next hundred years, life began to spread and thrive throughout the world, but the Watermaker wanted more. He wanted life that would be grateful to him for creating the world, so he went to the seas and created life that would, in time, develop sentience. Most sentient life in Iscathia evolved from these first creatures.

## Events

### The Watermaker's Defeat

For the next few hundred years, the Watermaker lived happily in the world he'd created, but there was something he hadn't taken into account: planeswalkers. Though most planeswalker visitors were peaceful, some of them were intent conquerors, and battled the Watermaker in order to rule over the plane.

The Watermaker fended them off, until a planeswalker named Kettren, who could control nature, used the plane itself as a weapon against the Watermaker. Realizing he could do nothing to avoid defeat, the Watermaker feigned his death and retreated to an isolated location. In his self-imposed exile, he spent the next years seeing the evolution of Iscathia.

Much to his disdain, Kettren's rise to power marked a new era in the plane. From then on, Iscathia went on a path of corruption, where power-hungry people fought for absolute control, and ruler after ruler ended seizing power, only to lose it to someone else, destroying a fraction of the plane in the process.

### The Five Leagues

As the years went by, five Iscathians decided to free the tyranny of their current ruler and establish their own goverments. Each fled to a different continent, followed by a group of supporters, and established a league to oppose both the tyrant and the other four leagues.

### The War of Five

Eventually, the five Iscathian Leagues realized that they were more powerful united than fighting each other, so they joined forces and started a massive war with the forces of Anarka, the central continent. The war lasted five years, and in the end, the combined forces of the five Leagues was enough to overthrow the ruler. Realizing that no one leader could represent the interests of all five Leagues at the same time, they decided to rule together, forming the Council of Five, the only rulers since the Watermaker's defeat who sought what was best for all rather than just for themselves.

### Velekren's Rule

However, peace wasn't meant to last. Less than a decade later, a creature of immense power known as Velekren invaded Iscathia. As he arrived, the raw power it took him to get him into the plane corrupted its mana flow and brought disruption that forever altered Iscathia.

Velekren confronted the Council of Five, killing them all and absorbing their powers, immediately developing a mastery of all five colors of mana. He spent the next decades shaping the plane to his will, using the new corrupt mana flow to empower his and his followers to ensure their loyalty.

However, the new leaders of the five Leagues decided to put a stop to his rule, this time individually rather than together. Each of them amassed an army which they used to invade Anarka. Over the course of a year, the entirety of Iscathia was at war with each other, but the war ended when Hathrik, leader of the Ebony Creed, killed Velekren and stole his powers, including his planeswalker's spark.

### The Cleansing

With his newfound power, Hathrik, who'd always hated Iscathia and wanted to see it burn, used the power of Velekren and the corrupt mana flow to disrupt every living being, causing the extinction of some and the mutation of others. Allegiances and factions shifted quickly when the very essence of the Iscathians was altered, and the war intensified, leading Iscathia to a point of no return where it would tear itself apart, and nobody could do anything to stop it.

### The Drowning of Iscathia

The Watermaker decided enough was enough, and forced himself to do something he'd spent years trying to avoid: destroy his creation. Realizing there was no way to redeem Iscathia, he channeled his power in one last spell. Water had been the beginning of Iscathia, and it would be its end.

His entire body became colossal, and he exploded in torrents of water that violently flooded the world. The only survivor of the massacre was Hathrik, who planeswalked away when he realized what was going on. Even waterborn creatures were killed by the violence with which the water struck them.

In the end, Iscathia was left nothing but a flooded wasteland, the Watermaker became one with the Great Sea, and he finally found peace of mind.

## Locations

### Anarka

Anarka is the central continent of Iscathia, where mana of all five colors flows freely. This mana flow is empowering but corrupting, enabling its users to push their boundaries but always be thirsty for more.

#### The Iridescent Tower

The Iridescent tower stands in the middle of Iscathia. It is the headquarters of the rulers, and the mana flow of the world starts at its foundations, spreading throughout the rest of the plane.

#### Ventrala

The northwestern part of Anarka is a country known as Ventrala. It is vastly covered by the Ventralan Forest, a massive woodland home to creatures of all shapes and sizes, including elementals and beasts. Anarkan scouts describe it as the most beautiful place in all of Iscathia. Part of the Ventralan Forest delves into Armonika, giving way to its thickets.

#### Garridia

Garridia lies to the southeast of the Iridescent Tower. It is a land of ice, where punishing snowstorms are constantly blowing. It is one of the harshest environments in the world, and members of the Crimson Guild head there to train under the most punishing conditions.

#### Mystros

The region known as Mystros is a vast tundra that covers the area between Ventrala and Garridia. In Mystros, the vegetation that sprouts from the plants of the Ventralan Forest is hit by the glacial winds that come from Garridia, generating a landscape with its own particular beauty.

#### Ravitrat

The country that lies south of the Iridescent tower. It is a blighted land that's home to demons and their followers. Though originally abundant, Ravitrat was corrupted and ravaged by its inhabitants. At the southernmost part of Ravitrat, just over the frontier with Necrosia, there is a giant cavern where Weavra, the queen of spiders, resides.

#### Fortariq

A rugged planice that lies to the west of the Iridescent Tower. It is the perfect training place for many Iscathians, and it's one of the most populated regions of Anarka because of that. Right on the frontier with Ravitrat, the Fortress of Heavenly Fire stands.

### Luminit

The continent that lies to the north of Anarka. Those who can go through the mountain range that separates Luminit from Anarka are greeted by a vast, hostile desert, which receives most of the heat from the three suns. Though no oases have been found in Luminit, the Ivory Crusade has numerous outposts spread throughout the sands. At the northernmost part of the continent stands the Ivory Castle, headquarters to the Ivory Crusade.

### Sapienta

Sapienta is an island that floats to the northeast of Anarka, separated from the mainland. Is it surrounded by the Deepwater, a hostile ocean in which sailing is extremely treacherous both because of the storms over it and the merfolk that lurk in its depths. A colossal bastion, the Sapphire Citadel, covers almost the entirety of the continent, and acts as the headquarters of the Sapphire Brotherhood.

### Necrosia

To the southeast of Anarka lies the continent of Necrosia. The earth of Necrosia is sour and murky, as it is covered by swamps and marshes. Those who live in Necrosia know their way around the quagmire, and have built multiple settlements in safe spots. However, the most important location is the Ebony Catacombs, a massive underground network that covers over half the area of Necrosia. These catacombs serve as headquarters for the Ebony Creed, who realized it was easier to live underground rather than on the surface.

### Pyrillek

The continent that lies to the southwest of Anarka. Pyrillek is covered in sky-high mountains and treacherous cliffs. Traversing it is highly dangerous and even residents have trouble doing it. The highest mountains are so gigantic their peaks can't be seen from the ground, which is rugged and dry, and rocky avalanches are constantly raining down. Despite being unstable territory, a building known as the Crimson Fortress (headquarters to the Crimson Guild) has been erected on a plateau atop one of the tallest mountains, known as Mount Pyrillos.

### Armonika

The continent of Armonika is located northwest of Anarka. It's covered by a continuation of the Ventralan Forest. Armonikan residents call it the Immaculate Forest, while the rest of Iscathia calls it the Heretic's Forest. Most of the forest is inhabited by elves and their animal companions. At the western edge of the forest, the headquarters of the Emerald Gathering are located in the Emerald Grove.

## Factions

### Pre-Cleansing

#### The Ivory Crusade

The white faction of Iscathia. They're a group of knights who fight in the name of the Light. They're a religious cult who believe the Light is the one true force driving life and that only those who follow it are worthy of living. They're led by Grillek, Beacon of Light, and live in a castle in Luminit, where they train each and every day in order to impose the Light on others.

#### The Sapphire Brotherhood

The blue faction of Iscathia. They're a group of erudites who seek enlightenment. They have the capacity of predicting the future and seek to know everything there is to know. They believe in culling the world from ignorance, abhorring it above all else. They're led by Therynissa, the Mastermind, and live in a citadel located in the island Sapienta.

#### The Ebony Creed

The black faction of Iscathia. They're assassins and rogues who believe in doing whatever it takes to survive. They're cutthroat to a point where they're even willing to kill their own members in order to prove a point and obtain what they want, yet respect each other for that, since at least they're honest. They're led by Hathrik, Master of Deception, and live in the catacombs under Necrosia, waiting for the right moment to strike at the rest of the world and seize what they want.

#### The Crimson Guild

The red faction of Iscathia. They're brutal warriors who train restlessly ever since they're young, and believe in power above all else. Weakness is not the way of the Guild, and only the strongest are allowed within it. They're led by Pyrillos, Bringer of Hellfire (direct descendant of the Guild's founder), and live in an impregnable fortress where their elders train them rigurously in multiple forms of combat and in pyromancy. They also patiently wait for the reawakening of Selereth, their dragon protector.

#### The Emerald Gathering

The green faction of Iscathia. They're druids that are mostly pacifistic in nature, although they will fight to defend it. They believe that Iscathia is a place that needs to be healed, and they're the ones chosen to do it. They're led by Melindra, Essence Ruler, and live in a grove in the Immaculate Forest.

#### Golgorath's Legion

The demon Golgorath rules over Ravitrat with his legion of demonic servants and acolytes. They are relentless and bloodthirsty, defiling everything and everyone they can in their wake. They're sworn enemies of the Order of Heavenly Fire.

#### The Order of Heavenly Fire

The Order of Heavenly Fire is settled in the frontier between Ravitrat and Fortariq. Led by the angel Eryalla of the Skyfire, the Order is composed of soldiers who decided to stand against Golgorath and his corruption in order to put an end to the demon. Many of its members are former followers of the Ivory Crusade and the Crimson Guild, and the Order has adapted their fighting style to their own.

#### Deepwater Merfolk

The Deepwater is the name of the ocean that separates Sapienta from the other continents. In the depths of the sea, the merfolk, children of the siren queen Zhajyrah, sabotage the Sapphire Brotherhood and punish those who try to tread their territory.

#### The Elves

Even though they joined the Emerald Gathering fairly early, tensions were always high between the elves and the humans. When the elves developed the use of black mana, Melindra was given the perfect excuse to banish them from the league. Benala, their leader, accused Melindra of hypocrysy and fled to new territories, joining forces with multiple allies to reclaim the Gathering for the elves.

### Post-Cleansing

#### The Kollanos

A new group of demons was spawned after the Cleansing, and they named themselves the Kollanos. They decided to separate themselves from Golgorath and his legion, and are trying to take Ravitrat away from them.

#### The Demon Hunters

With the increased number of demons brought by the Cleansing, survivors of the war, most of them former Ivory Crusade members, decided something had to be done about it. They joined forces and rose as the Demon Hunters. Led by Astralis, they use the combined knowledge each of their members learned from their former allegiances as weapons to bring down Golgorath and the Kollanos.

#### The Cult of the Necrolords

After the Cleansing altered their very essence, druids of the Emerald Gathering became devoted to death itself. They created the Cult of the Necrolords as a way to worship death and decay. They seek to learn from death in order to transcend it, and despite their previous worship of nature, they now seek to alter the workings of nature past its natural lifespan.

## Notable Iscathians

* **The Watermaker:** An oldwalker who ascended while studying in the Tolarian Academy. He arrived at a barren world and created the seas, landmasses and life on it, giving birth to Iscathia. He lost his spark resurrecting Jeska.
* **Grillek:** Leader of the Luminitas, he believes he's been chosen by the Light to purify Iscathia from its corruption and heresy.
* **Therynissa:** Leader of the Sapientans. She is the most knowledgeable person in all of Iscathia, but that potential is lost in her since she believes that only knowledge born from the Sapphire Brotherhood is the only one worthy of being immortalized.
* **Hathrik:** Leader of the Necrosians. He is the only survivor of the Flooding of Iscathia. He devised a scythe that allowed him to steal Velekren's spark and can now planeswalk as long as he holds the weapon.
* **Pyrillos:** Leader of the Pyrilleki and second of his name. He is a powerful pyromancer with a short temper.
* **Selereth:** Dragon familiar of Pyrillos I, Selereth helped his master escape Anarka and found the Crimson Guild, and has been its protector. However, after Pyrillos's death he entered a deep slumber, waiting for the right time to reemerge and help his league once more.
* **Melindra:** Leader of the Armonikans.Melindra is actually an Anarkan-born Iscathian, but she chose to join the Gathering and guides it with actual knowledge of the rest of the world. Her understanding of different cultures motivates her to seek harmony between all Iscathians.
* **Golgorath:** A powerful demon who rules over the land of Ravitrat. His purpose is to desecrate Iscathia and one day rule it from the top of the Iridescent Tower.
* **Eryalla of the Skyfire:** An angel who founded the Order of Heavenly Fire as a way to deal with the demons. She believes that peace can only be achieved through warfare.
* **Joariq:** A lieutenant of the Order of Heavenly Fire and one of its most promising soldiers. She is in love with Eryalla, and even though she knows her love will never be reciprocated, she fight zealously in Eryalla's name.
* **Aija:** A former member of the Ivory Crusade, her scout's nature constantly led to confrontations with Grillek, until she finally left Luminit with her tiger mount and headed towards Anarka, where she began her explorations.
* **Zhajyrah:** Queen of the merfolk and sirens of Iscathia. Angry that her people were never accepted into the Brotherhood, she now tyranyzes the Deepwater and uses her forces to antagonize Therynissa and her people.
* **Weavra:** An anthropomorphic spider who used to belong to the Ebony Creed. She learned dementia magic from Hathrik himself, but she decided to follow her ambition and separated herself from the league, taking her children to Anarka where her power grew.
* **Levira:** A master pyromancer of the Crimson Guild. She devoted her entire life to Pyrillos II, aspiring to some day marry him and rule the Guild alongside him. When she realized he was showing interest in her, she submitted herself to a brutal test in Garridia, where she almost died to the punishing cold. Instead, she developed cryomantic abilities, but Pyrillos considered her a traitor and banished her from the Guild. Ever since then, she's been amassing an army and empowering herself to punish Pyrillos for his actions.
* **Benala:** Leader of the elves. She and her people joined the Emerald Crusade a little over a decade after its creation. After being banished, she took her children to the edge of the Immaculate Forest and the Ventralan Forest, where they joined Aija and her scouting crew and befriended them.
* **Astralis:** A human who was formerly a knight of the Ivory Crusade, after the Cleansing Astralis realized that the Crusade was forever lost, and instead decided to take action against a concrete threat: the demons. He founded and trained the demon hunters to deal with the common enemy of Iscathia.
* **Zorom****:** A satyr of Ravitrat. After seeing his land desecrated by the demons and by his own people, he decided to roam Anarka and found beauty unlike he'd ever seen. He vowed that he would do whatever it took to protect the rest of Anarka from the desolation Ravitrat faced.
* **Herkell:** An Anarkan who's always been fascinated with all the species that populate Iscathia. He's spent all of his adult life as a self-taught zoologist. Together with Zorom, he found multiple specimens and developed a strong link with the wildlife of Anarka.
* **Threben****:** An ambitious man from Ravitrat. After his land was taken over by demons, he made a deal with them. The demons granted him incredible power, which he used to become a spiritual puppetmaster. He used his power to bind others' souls to his and use them to pay his debt to the demons, meaning he gets to keep all the power without ever having to be the one to pay its price.

## Planeswalker Visitors

* The Watermaker
* Velekren
* Jeska
* Kettren

## Trivia

* Yes, the map is laid out as a color pie. Originally it went in WGRBU order but I mirrored it since I was doing it color pie-ish anyways.