Planet:Narazen

"Koldenwelt; the World of Magic. All people - scholars, clerics, kings, warriors, and commoners - accept that our world is a diverse one, blessed with a beauty and soul of its own that connects, in some way, to all life born into it. Yet, while the world may be a fascinating and grand spectacle, it is no less victim to adversity both from within and from beyond... Spirits from the outer-realms who are envious of its lands seek it conquered or erased. We may never know and understand Koldenwelt in its entirety, yet it is only the children of this world who exist freely and beyond the servitude of gods. And we all must fight to keep this freedom."

- Aitheren Ceivoren, First Lord-King of the Western Elves

Koldenwelt is a planet located in the Aethereal Firmament and one of, if not the most important planet in the mortal plane. Arguably governed by the supreme entity known as, Koldenwelt is a lush, living world filled to the brim with all kinds of creatures, ranging from humanoids to beasts and dragons. The planet is fundamentally linked to the magic essence known as the Source and god-like entities known as the Colossi have roamed it ever since its very creation, both aiding in its foundation and trying to destroy it.

Through its history, Koldenwelt has been subject to constant shifts of power and conflicts where gods battled each other in its surface, and since times immemorial, the dreaded Simulacra had great degree of interest in the planet. Koldenwelt is a world of great variation regarding geography and climate, possessing tropical rainforests, arid deserts, great mountain ranges and volcanic hotspots. Civilizations are always sprouting on the planet, ranging from small tribes to great empires and kingdoms, and this is unlikely to ever end unless an impossibly grand cataclysm destroys the entire world.

History
Years in Koldenwelt's history are given in the BNA/NA (Before New Age/New Age) dating system. Koldenwelt's history is divided into five "Ages" - Prehistoric, Orichalcum, Adamantine, Old, and New –– each separated by major events.

Prehistoric Age (Beginning - 30,000 BNA)
The exact date of Koldenwelt's creation is unknown to all, and the exact means of how the world came to be is often subject of legends in multiple civilizations. Some myths say the world was molded by and then had its oceans, landmasses and sky shaped by the Colossi, ,  and Korddraigen, while the Orichalcum Elves believed the world came to be after , the supreme god of Nothing, separated the planes of existence in thirteen realms, with Koldenwelt being molded by the actions of the three Celestial Deities ,  and. Regardless of how Koldenwelt was created, its very first inhabitants are believed to have been the first Colossi and the entities known as s, who were followed by the first of the True Dragon races such as the s, the s and the s.

At some point, Koldenwelt was visited and colonized by the, a race of extraplanar entities created by Soldalatel and Aethereus, who are responsible for introducing speech and agriculture to some Drake races and early Deiwos cultures, including the Orichalcum Elves and the , and ancient civilizations of beastmen also became known with the rise of the , the and the. At this point in history, Caligaduro Provectus's presence in the world became more and more active until the Simulacrum launched an all-out invasion in the world alongside his two other Simulacrum creations and, leading to Koldenwelt being infested by s and resulting in the destruction of entire civilizations and landmasses, including the Storm Drakes, Sun Drakes and the Echdrarothrayu alongside the islands they called home.

The following thousands of years had Koldenwelt being a battlefield between gods and armies of mortals against demons of various sources. Other Simulacra such as, , and the  all became active around this era, as well as Colossi who were born as time passed and unique deities such as. Some ancient civilizations such as the Ondarei Mharinis and the Sohet, found themselves being slowly destroyed by the forces of the Void alongside other dark entities who had risen such as the s and the Idkin, while other civilizations such as the Orichalcum Elves, the Aithrena Elves and the managed to rise to power and survive the onslaught commanded by Caligaduro. This era also saw the creation of the dreaded locations known as, which became the home of the Void Denizens who plagued Koldenwelt.

Orichalcum Age (29,999 BNA - 13,500 BNA)
The beginning of the Orichalcum Age is determined by the date of the oldest records of the, though other civilizations had records before then which have since been lost. Very little is known about this era, but it is known the Colossi and Soldalatel had allied in order to combat Caligaduro Provectus' presence, waging war against his servants. The Orichalcum Elf Imperium itself was at one point nearly destroyed by the efforts of the demon known as, and civilizations such as the Ondarei Mharinis, the Sohet and the Kormacvarah found themselves close to extinction. It is believed that this era was also when the Ondarei Mharinis-Sohet-Ordnung-Kormacvarah alliance created the first s in order to combat the denizens of the Void. The era's end is marked by the end of the reign of the last Orichalcum Elf tyrants.

Adamantine Age (13,499 BNA - 5,000 BNA)
The Adamantine Age marked the end of the war between immortalkind and the Colossi against the denizens of the Void through a mutual defeat of both sides. The Ondarei Mharinis, the Sohet and the Kormacvarah were completely extincted during this era, while the Cobalt Kingdom was defeated and forced into hiding. Around the age of 6,000 BNA, the organization known as the was founded in an attempt to fight off the forces of the Void, and while they achieved success for about sixty years, they were eventually destroyed and razed off the face of the world, becoming little more than legend. The last of the Colossi would also die out around this era, many of them dying to either Caligaduro or his servants.

The forces of the Void would also find themselves defeated after Ramainaualmari and Kaicaiusarin were either imprisoned deep in the earth, and several hundred years later were followed by Caligaduro Provectus himself, who was imprisoned beneath the islands known as the Archipelago. To keep the Simulacrum trapped, Isiris and the other Simulacra would create an extremely powerful artifact known as the Eye, created by a combination of the supreme entity's powers, the powers of Caligaduro's enemy Simulacra and the souls of the dead Colossi, creating an item of enough power to act as a counter-measure against Caligaduro Provectus' powers, keeping him buried beneath the Archipelago with seemingly no way of getting out without external help. The denizens of the Void were either trapped with him, destroyed, returned to their realm or went into hibernation, causing the war to finally end. Caligaduro's defeat caused a great flood which hit the Tropical Lands and destroyed what remained of the Orichalcum Elf Imperium, with survivors of the race leading an exodus to the region of Abyssus, pushing out the native of the region and settling in it. These Orichalcum Elves would come to worship Caligaduro Provectus as a god and be corrupted by the powers of the Void, leading to them being turned into the.

Despite the great destruction in this era, it also marked the rising of a new generation of great powers such as the and the, which would eventually replace the Orichalcum Elves as the largest and most influential elven empire in Koldenwelt's surface.

Old Age (4,999 BNA - 1 BNA)
The Old Age is marked by the rise of hundreds upon hundreds of new civilizations after the denizens of the Void were defeated, alongside the birth of a new generation of Colossi known in the current days as the New Colossi. The early stages of the Old Age were also marked by the founding of the dreaded by the now disfigurated survivors of the Orichalcum Elf Imperium and the creation of  after the Simulacrum Zran Kar created the first generation of s. The, a slave race of the Cobalt Kingdom, would also rebel against their masters and achieve independence, eventually giving birth to several races of dwarves across Koldenwelt.

More recent and eventually influential nations were born in the Old Age such as the in the deserts, the  in the northwest, the  and  in the west, the  in the south seas and the Ar-Klith Sky Empire of the eastern mountains. The Sovereignty of Dryada would find itself in a civil war once its human population rebelled against elvenkind, eventually leading to the birth of the and to humankind becoming widespread across Koldenwelt's eastern continent, primarily in its east. While wars most certainly existed in this era, none of them were as bad or caused as many casualties as the wars against the denizens of the Void, though one particular event is considered to be the closest in these terms.

The largest war in recent history is known as the, which was marked by the Legion of Shiarchon waging war against the world and launching an attack at the Archipelago for the purpose of obtaining the Eye and freeing Caligaduro Provectus from his prison. Many of Koldenwelt's most powerful nations united forces to combat the Shiarchon threat, and the war eventually ended in their defeat, with the Legion being forced to retreat to Abyssus and enter a state of seclusion. The war was not one-sided though for many lives were lost, including the complete destruction of the Archipelago Elves.

New Age (1 NA - Today)
The end of the War for the Eye marked the end of the Old Age and the beginning of the New Age, which lasts to this day. This era is currently marked by the surviving allies of the War for the Eye rebuilding the damage caused by it and so that they may prepare themselves for a future conflict, while more new races join international affairs after being so far unaffected by such conflicts. Technological, military and magical advancements have been made through the world unlike any seen in thousands of years.

By the year 31 NA, the Legion of Shiarchon had rebuilt from its losses and prepared to wage war against the world once again, thanks to recent events which had not only boosted their power but also granted it allies against the other races of the continent. Caligaduro Protectus' influence was growing once more, and at the same time granting his servants the power of affecting the world once again, with activities from factions such as the, the and the Merkan Underrealm becoming more common and visible. Eventually, the event known as the was declared after the Legion of Shiarchon marched into the region of Talmyr and conquered the, which was followed by a resurgence of both the Cult of the Eclipse and the Insomnolence which left the Talmyr in ruins and other parts of the world in disarray.

Species


Koldenwelt is home to an innumerable number of races, both sapient and animal-like. The humanoid Deiwes include beings such as humans, elves, dwarves and orcs, while the Kelodhres include the creatures known as dragons, some of comparable age to the Deiwes while others serve as fundamental avatars of the elements of nature. The  are races resembling animal folk or merely intelligent animals, who make up the most numerous of the races in terms of variety.

Other than the three main kinds of races, Koldenwelt is also home to entities known as Botanicocephali, who are races of sapient plants and fungi as well as the s, physical manifestations of the elements of nature. Their artificial counterparts, the Golems, are entities not made of flesh and bone who were given life by a third party, and the highly magical Fae folk are entities who create a very valuable magic reagent known as fairy dust. There is life outside of Koldenwelt, inhabiting the realms of the Simulacra, but these creatures are not considered natives of the planet and are given the name of Outsiders.

Society
The world of Koldenwelt is not a unified society, being composed of various tribes, cities, and nations. Different kinds of entities tend to live in distinct societies while attracting more of their own kin, leading to the existence of nations predominantly inhabited by certain kinds of races. The is the largest collective human nation in the world, while the  and the  are the most predominant elven and draconic nations respectively.

While the concept of xenophobia and speciesm exist in Koldenwelt, it is uncommon for nations to only be inhabited by one race. The Empire of Man, a known xenophobic empire, has a large goblin population in its territory, while the Sovereignty of Dryada possess numerous beastfolk living under their protection as vassal states. The, one of the most expansive empires in the eastern continent, is made up of various beastmen and humanoid races living in harmony, and even the dreaded possess numerous races under its control, though they remain under the rule of their dark elf masters.

Koldenwelt is home to many languages. Diplomacy and trade through the world's history led to the birth of common tongues, with the current dominant tongue of the world being Kolden, most known as New Common. The Echdrarothrayu are said to have introduced speech to the first Orichalcum Elves and some dragons, but other races developed languages on their own volition.

Calendar
Koldenweltian years are 350 days long and split in twelve months. Each month is attributed to one of the Simulacra, who are said to have their presence in the world grow stronger at that time of the year. The Orichalcum Elves linked each month to one of their celestial deities rather than a Simulacrum.

Religion
Due to its great number of cultures, there are many religions in the world. Numbers of pantheons make up Koldenwelt's mythology, some fabricated but most very real, often overlapping with the deities of other cultures. Koldenwelt itself is arguably agreed to be governed by a supreme entity called, whose philosophy involves ultimate balance, meaning it acts in both good and dark ways to ensure Koldenwelt's continued existence. The most known deities of the world are the legendary Colossi, the gods of the sixteen schools of the Source, and the Simulacra, a group of twelve morally ambiguous gods hailing from other planes of existence who meddle with Koldenwelt's affairs for their own personal gain.

Other than these two groups of entities, Koldenwelt is also home to other gods. A group collectively known as the Celestial Deities served as the gods of the Orichalcum Elf Imperium as well as other related cultures, while lone divine deities such as, the god of the people of Alhassal, and Murinus Verium, the god of the , also exist. It is agreed one does not need to be a Colossus or a Simulacrum to be divine, though the former two groups are widely accepted to be the greatest forces of the known world.

Geography
Koldenwelt is divided in two main continents surrounded by a very large number of islands and an immense, seemingly infinite sea. They are referred to as the Eastern and Western continents, with each possessing their own division of areas determined by their characteristics such as climate, geography, wildlife and location.

Polar Lands


The Polar Lands are a very large extension of land which makes up the entire north of the eastern continent of Koldenwelt, going from the seas bordering Talmyr to the Great Eastern Wall. Neighbouring the Western Forests, the Sea of Sand and the Eastern Plains make the lower regions of the Polar Lands greatly varied in terrain, but the climate is predominantly taiga and tundra, possessing low numbers of trees the deeper one ventures into it and an average temperature of 13ºC to -28ºC depending of the seas. The region has a high number of mountains, most of them being considered alpine tundra or possessing no vegetation at all due to being covered in snow, and the deeper regions of the Lands possess powerful, sometimes constant snowstorms.

The extremely cold climate of the Polar Lands make it one of the most inhospitable parts of the eastern continent, and temperatures going down to -75ºC have been reported at the deepest parts of the region, making it arguably the coldest landscape of Koldenwelt. Lakes and rivers commonly freeze during the winter except for the ones which neighbour other regions of the continent.

Notable inhabitants include:
 * Arakai Clans
 * Septentrion Governance
 * Septentrion Governance
 * Septentrion Governance
 * Septentrion Governance

Eastern Plains


The Eastern Plains are a large region composed mostly by grasslands located at the east of Koldenwelt's eastern continent. As they name imply, are primarily composed of plain landscapes, though the region is also well noted for its great mountain ranges which include active volcanoes. Plateus can also be found across the land, primarily in the far east, with one notable feature of the region being the Great Eastern Wall: a massive mountain range predominating in the Eastern Plains which then extends all the way north and south of the continent, with such imposing and hostile environments that no one has ever explored too far into it. Because of it, what lies beyond the Great Eastern Wall, or if anything exists beyond it at all, is unknown and unlikely to ever be confirmed.

The climate of the Plains is compared to that of the west in that it is predominantly temperate at an average of 15ºC to 26ºC, being neither too hot or too cold all-year round. However, due to the region's neighbouring of both the Sea of Sand and the Polar Lands, its west and north tend to have very hot summers and very cold winters respectively.

Notable inhabitants include:
 * Ar-Klith Sky Empire

Sea of Sand


The Great Sea of Sand, also known as Koldenwelt Desert is a large desert located at the center of Koldenwelt's eastern continent. It is located at north of the Tropical Lands, south of the Northern Region, east of the Western Forest and west of the Eastern Plains. The desert's landforms are shaped by wind or by occasional rains and include sand dunes, stone plateaus and valleys. Mountains and mountain ranges exist in the Sea of Sand at various locations, some of them possibly volcanic in nature. The center of the desert is hyper-arid and has very little vegetation, which only becomes more prominent on the borders with other regions. The average temperature on the sea of sand is 45ºC during the day and -10ºC during the night, although regional extremes may exceed 60ºC during the day and -25ºC at night.

Despite the temperature, the Sea of Sand does have rivers, some permanent but most being seasonal or intermittent. Underground aquifers reaching the surface allow the existence of oases at various points of the desert. The largest river is the Snake's River, which crosses the desert from the Eastern Plains to the Tropical Lands. It was given this name for its shape which is described as looking like a snake when looking at it from above.

Notable inhabitants include:

Western Forests


The Western Forests is a large, forested region in the western area of Koldenwelt's eastern continent. The Western Forests range from thick conifer forest where it borders the Northern Region, to sparse deciduous woodland further south, where it eventually turns into subtropical forest. This region is considered to be where the Western Forests end and the Tropical Lands begin. Near the Central Deserts, the forest opens out into a small region of heavy scrubland. While some areas of the Western Forests have been cleared by systematic deforestation by surrounding civilizations, dense regions of trees of every kind remain completely untouched. In the southern areas of the Western Forests, the Everwinter Highlands stand as a beacon that helps guide travelers as a mark of their location.

Regarding its climate, the Western Forests are predominantly temperate, keeping around 12ºC to 28ºC through the entire year depending of the season. The sheer density of the region's woods make a large part of it still unexplored by outsiders, but the region is well known for its beauty, ranging from great waterfalls, groves and immense old trees which have endured the wars which once ravaged the land.

Notable inhabitants include:

Tropical Lands


The Tropical Lands is a large region composed mostly by tropical rainforests, located at the south of Koldenwelt's eastern continent. They are located at south of the Sea of Sand, east of the Western Forest and southwest of the Eastern Plains. They possess long extensions of rainforests, jungles, mangroves and swamps, and at the shore, long extensions of sand-covered beaches can be found, which continue from those along the Western Forests. At the far east lies the dark region of Abyssus, the dominion of the servants of the Void.

The climate of the Tropical Lands is usually tropical, with long periods of rain during the entire year. The average of the temperature is around 18°C to 30°C, but those may change depending of the current season. The Lands are composed of plains, rivers, plateaus, cliffs and mountain ranges, with the largest mountain of the region being Abyssus' Sangua Mons, at 6,637 meters tall.

Notable inhabitants include:

Talmyr


Talmyr, also known as the Far Northwest is a large yet sparsely populated region of northwestern Koldenwelt. Talmyr's extent on Koldenwelt is often at discussion - whilst some believe that the Talmyr region is the area that only the Dalmiric Kingdom control, the Dalmiric Kingdom themselves assert that the entire northwestern region was their ancient definition that they called Tálmyr in itself. Talmyr is one of the coldest regions of Koldenwelt, exhibiting multiple arctic biomes such as boreal forests, tundras, cold steppes (in the south), and polar climate in the extreme north. A majority of the centre of Talmyr is considered a cold steppe whilst the boreal forests populate mainly the west of the region. The further north Talmyr goes, it eventually becomes a tundra region and then polar as it reaches the coasts.

The arctic climate of Talmyr varies in weather during the seasons. Much of the year is dry, though the winter period often sees snowfall. Thus, temperature in the more hospitable region of Talmyr ranges between the extremes of -30ºC in the winter and 12ºC at its peak in summer. The polar regions of Talmyr are rarely ventured into apart from the thinly populated tribal cultures, and sees temperatures lower than -52ºC at times.

Notable inhabitants include:
 * Orayu Kingdom
 * Orayu Kingdom

Silver Steppe


TBA

Notable inhabitants include:

Highmoors


TBA

Notable inhabitants include:

Sunset Isles


The Sunset Isles are an archipelago composed of numerous islands located at the far west of Koldenwelt, considered to be the westernmost point of the known world. It is divided in five great islands, with a great number of far smaller ones spread across it. It borders the western shores of the Silver Steppe and the Highmoors. It is one of the most varied parts of Koldenwelt in terms of physical characteristics, as each island possesses a wide array of different geography, though the great islands are all known to possess some extent of plateaus and at least one mountain.

The climate of the Sunset Isles is predominantly temperate to the north and tropical to the south, with all of the islands possessing significant forest ranges. The change in temperature between the summer and the winter is considered moderate compared to most regions of the world.

Notable inhabitants include:

Gallery

 * Land area - 22,300,000 sq.km
 * Highest mountain - Mount Tethale, 7,895 m above sea level (23,000 ft)
 * Largest lake - Lake Dynamis, 125.000 sq. km
 * Longest river - The Grand River, 8900 km



Quotes
"This world and all those who live in it are fascinating. I can only hope it will last for an eternity to come."

"The mortal plane is diverse, unique, and gives me so much work to do. It's marvelous."

"Koldenwelt will be consumed by the void. The spread of our abyss cannot be stopped!"