The Meta of Corive

Where Lyraine rants and rambles - this is fine

As Corive crawls from its medieval era with the construction of living machines and cannons, traditions of who rules society have shifted. Where the beacon of magical education shines, the corrupt politicians trade deals in its shadows. The ancient ruins of the eradicated dragon cultists are plundered to fuel wars and shift policies to the whims of their patrons.

Will you be the Dwarven mage leading troops to war, the charismatic Catfolk(renameneeded) tying poltical knots, the Orc scholar finding the cracks within the world? Or maybe you are the Elven magictechnician building the machines of progress, the Human archeologist looking for the lost treasures, or the Dragonblood hiding from those who would hunt you down?

— Elevator Pitch WIP

Motivation

Why am I creating Corive?

Originally, I wanted a D&D setting that's mine, where there aren't pre-existing lore from books about the setting, and therefore player expectations of living through those books or in the aftermath.

For a bit of arrogance, but I don't like the idea of researching a whole TTRPG setting before playing in it so I can place my players' mindset into a specific block because everything around us has been "nailed down" and "I can't do that because, in Such-and-So Novel by Big Author, this event happens at the time we're doing that." My D&D games are in my world, not the world of some other author.

What do I want out of Corive?

If a book (novel or campaign setting) gets written out of this, sweet, though that's not a primary motive. Worldbuilding is an entertaining wish-fulfillment. I wanted to make a world, and I enjoy doing it.

I worldbuild because I find learning fascinating and am driven to know everything possible. Worldbuilding is a vehicle I use to get more knowledge and to talk about learning, just, stuff. Where there is something wrong about real life in Corive's writings. In that case, I am always happy to hear about corrections because (1, One) I love learning stuff, and (2, Two) I like to take the time to consider how Real Life came about the way it did on the subject before deciding if Corive followed the exact same path.

What is the Hook for Corive? What makes Corive unique?

I won't say Corive is unique, more that it's mine. I worldbuild by taking what's considered "standard" and playing with them.

I've got swords, dragons, magic, kingdoms, undead, fantasy Scandinavia, and ancient dragon cultists. I also have cannon-based guns, living and sentient machines, multiple pantheons, and a four-way civil war. The setting's equivalent "era" is at the edge where medieval and Renaissance eras blend in Europe's history - about the 1300s, maybe 1360-ish. I could try and sell you how these are unique details or pieces, but I'm sure others have the same list.

They are not Corive, however. Corive has a special bit of "Lyraine" to it; it has wit (like Forest Elves having insults based around cultural appropriation, any of my placeholder names, or Magnus's Jewels as a title to amuse the thirteen-year-old we all pretend not to be). I have to sit down and further distill what the "Lyraine"-ness is, but it's there.

Literary Analysis

What is Corive's Genre?

Corive is an Early Rennaisance-based Fantasy World where I have a melding of Clockpunk and Early Steampunk with Magipunk (Arcanepunk? Aetherpunk?).

Corive has cannons, magic, swords, and the living machine people. We've got kings, factories, guilds, and universities. And we have dragons. My setting is Early Rennaisance because I am fond of weaponry and stuff that parallel more as a Rennaisance era, and a significant cultural shift is developing.

The Living Machines are the Forged, and they are people because this setting defines people as soul-owning and some other factors I need to nail down. But so too does the subcontinent because those machines were built for war, and now they're going into workforces and living among other people.

What is Corive's Mood?

Corive is, to me, a Tarnished Noble Bright setting, where I play with the dark reflections of the Noble Bright. I once described one city as a "Bright Beacon of Higher Education." However, underneath the bright shiny plating, it is also the home of the most corrupt government officials in the region.

I like the idea of a setting where the past was brighter and darker than the present. I like settings where the future will be brighter and slightly darker than the present. I call it tarnished because I prefer Happy Endings more, but there are some bittersweet ones too.

What level of Character Agency is there in your world?

The first adventure resulted in the party unleashing an ancient Priest who wants his power base back. They did it accidentally because not releasing him would cause many other difficulties. I also didn't mention the dude in the tree to them since he'd been there for thousands of years, and the inhabitants were also unaware of him.

My intention is to hit "Characters Matter." What specific scale of the choices matters depends on the potential impact level. Deciding to pickpocket a guard to feed a prisoner convicted of desertion while on a battlefield will most likely not result in "Oh, you gave me stolen food while I was imprisoned, so now I can give you this soft obscure knowledge that I know for no reason."

Well, Mass Effect did that, though it was a whole bunch of other events that were combined with that random and seemingly annoying guy turning out to be an asset.

However, at this time, because I have so much of my world that's under construction, my players are limited in their freedom of action and the feeling of "we did a thing and changed things!"

What is your scale?

I am primarily writing about the Soplas subcontinent. The world is Corive because I have places that are not a part of Soplas, but I am writing about Soplas most of the time.

Soplas has five major regions ruled by governing bodies giving those regions their current names. Theydim, Tormyra, Goltheris, and the Five Cities Region, all of which surround the Contested Lands.

From the Player's Perspective, what is the world scale?

At this time, my world likely feels very small and heavily under construction for my players. I'm literally building things just before they get there, nailing down ideas before I forget them (and sometimes forgetting them anyway).

What is the theme?

. . . Pardon me while I go scream.

I refuse to believe any world is just one theme. I refuse to accept the idea that for any world, there is one answer to this question that is the correct answer. I have several points of exploration, which is how I personally interpret "Theme" as a concept. I encourage anyone who walks through my world to find themes that resonate with them as being true to the world.

Which themes are likely a priority that gets nailed down multiple times while I write? History Repeats, Individual Development, and the Impact of People on Others.

History Repeats

Okay, this is not a direct description, but it's close enough. I like playing with ideas like people believing, "This time, things will be different." And it is - it usually follows similar lines as those who did the thing before.
Part of this is also tied to the rise and fall of societies. Before the Modern Times of Corive, there was The Adrakian Empire. Before the Adrakian Empire, an as-of-yet Unnamed Society had been forgotten. Before that society, there was another. And so forth.
I have the lifespans of traditionally long-lived species shorted (cough-Elves-cough) to bring the scale of ancient history to actually be ancient. This also allows me to have people forget what their ancestors knew or believed, or those beliefs and knowledge have been set aside over time as other advances came about.
History in Corive does not repeat step-by-step, it's more like history improvises during the song, and it's a different person showing off. But the improv segment still fits the tune.

The Development of the Individual

I define Coming of Age as someone taking everything they are and self-defining themselves. This could mean cutting out parts of the things, making them themselves now to include other aspects or to develop goals those pieces would have prevented the development of.

The Impact of People on Others

I've got Found/Chosen Families, because I am in a family that chose me. Across my world, there is a cultural constant where one's bloodline doesn't determine if someone is worthy of inheritance. I still need to nail this segment down, but it is there.
I also have characters who have to face the influence of their families and make their own decisions to make their own paths.
A lot of this comes from my career as well, where I have had a lot of studying about generational trauma and its opposite (I can't find an antonym I like enough to use because "calm" or "heal-y" doesn't sound right) and the impact of those kinds of family events. And how people respond to them.
Who one's family is - found, biological, chosen, and/or other ways - helps shape a person. I'm not entirely Team Nurture for Psychological Development, but I am firm on the side of Nurture being a heavy impact.
I have more stuff on how people leave marks for better or ill on each other and how things trace back in time as a series of interactions that shape people.

The Value of Souls (Campaign Spoilers Within)

This is not an IRL-related thing. It really isn't. It's a conflict point for the deities as they fight for permanence or strength in the eventuality of The World Dreamer waking up. Magic is Soul-Stuff, and that Soul-Stuff is the core of the planet, so the more souls are away from the core, then the planet starts to have an issue where there is a vacuum within. And then the planet implodes, and it's great!
So, the deities fight over what the value of those souls even is.
For the mortals, they find their living war machines are living and have souls. And then have to deal with the classic problem of Robots and Souls found in science fiction.

The Meta Concepts

You may ask that I pick 3-5, but I have difficulty picking from the list unless I write down what I have for each category. I refuse to accept being concise. Have some word-vomit text walls of Classic Lyraine Rambling Pre-Edit

Government Presence

The government's presence varies from region to region. Corive is an exploration of some systems and ideas in that sense. In general, however, I have a surprising consistency of people having a local government program of community support (neighborhood scales for populous cities and then individual towns and villages operating on community support networks because everyone knows everyone else).
In Theydim, the local king (called Arle) has more impact and loyalty than the High King they answer to (when the region is unified enough). The unification process, however, is the greatest obstacle to having a High King. Hence, the Arles are the region's highest ruling figures for most of Theydim's history.
In Tormyra, there is the ruling family and a ruling caste of Mages who determine the power distribution across the land. The family has been in power for so many generations that the lich king who abdicated his throne to a descendent is considered a likely founding ruler.
In The Five Cities, the government is the city, and the city is the ruling family. Everything must work just right, or else the great machine of the city will fall apart. The Cities' ruling Families operate as rivals and uneasy allies to each other, always looking for ways to weaken other Cities but not too weak for external rival powers to take over their rival Cities.
In Goltheris, the government only impacts you based on the role of the guild and the guildmember you are speaking to would affect you. The guilds rule with a council of guild masters who elect a Mayor to represent the city-state. The Guilds themselves jockey political favors to gain more guild members because the more members a guild has, the greater political power that guild has over the city.
In between all these regions is a fifth that exists as a melting pot of chaos as borders shift and change before developing into a regional sense of apathy towards whoever is claiming to rule them this week.

Rule Of Law

I've been playing with the role of laws in societies based on who lives there. In Theydim, Mages are generally treated with distance if not fear and have sanctions on what is and is not appropriate uses of magic. Most statutes are based on a scale of "harm to the community." Violators are punished in ways that are generally "reparations to the community," with some exceptions that are Arling based. Mages are a ruling class in Tormyra. Still, there are laws on what type of magic is legal or illegal, leading to the development of magical-dampening devices to halt or slow down active magic in a location with more mages. However, prosecuting mage-related crimes is challenged by identifying which mage had done the act and providing enough evidence. Most of the law is enforced by city or town guards in the case of violence. Still, civil law is generally dealt with between individuals and a local leader or priest. Sometimes disputes are resolved in a tavern brawl. The Five Cities operate on laws based on the function of their City. Anything not related to the Cities is handled by individual law enforcers to interpret as they will. In Goltheris, the law is held under the Law Shields who enforce the law, the Judges who determine if the law was adequately upheld or actually violated, the Circus who defend the actions of the potentially accused, and (Name Later) who investigate both the defense side and the prosecution side before presenting evidence before the Judges. The Contested Lands generally have a mixing of laws and law enforcement practices because of the nature shifting borders in the lands.

Social Services

My world is based on the early Renaissance era, so here are certain social services such as schools to teach children. Still, those are limited to teaching children as much as they'll most likely need or use. Wealthier persons or people of valued trades may sponsor children of exceptional aptitudes to further their talents and careers.
What many may consider Social Services by IRL today (and likely in the US) are generally handled by the neighbors. If a farmer's field is burned because of bandits, their neighbors will do what they can to help because the farmer had likely or will help them in turn. If multiple neighbors suffer, the town will send someone to ask the local government bodies for aid.
Road maintenance varies but is generally managed by people of wealth (road maintenance actually came up in a session) in the area because they benefit the most from wealth coming in and traders coming out.

Economic Strength

There is a strong preference for bartering over goods - three chickens for a rat-hunting dog or similar. Coinage is generally used by travelers and people in the cities. Still, the local economic strength is heavily based on events such as war.
During times of war, when the farms are being worked on by fewer people, the economy would be weaker. Overall, the economic strength could be more evenly distributed.
I am also using a TTRPG's framework, so coins from hundreds (thousands) of years ago are (supposedly) just as viable as current currency, but that's more for current ease of campaign storytelling on my side. When I do pay my players' characters.
My players, however, complain about how I don't pay their characters. I've been casually using the excuse that they have money from the wrong time period (literally thousands of years old) and then made the Gold Flood to fill in the excuse.

Wealth Distribution

The wealth is not evenly distributed. The ruling powers may not be the wealthiest and have other means of maintaining their position. Still, the ruling forces are generally more affluent than those they rule.
As a worldbuilding topic, I have explored how people may appear to live at a higher status than they earn. My Thydian Civil War has an Arle who is more interested in trading with foreigners to gain access to foods from far away, instead of actually ruling, and then deciding he'd instead let his niece who runs another part of Theydim unofficially run his.
I also have my world set at a time equivalent to when Europe started having a middle class with economic power and influence. Other than what was said in the Economic Strength section, I've not yet explored a whole lot more into how I've distributed wealth.

Agriculture And Trade

Agriculture is a major aspect of my world, as is trade. But I've answered this point more in the previous two points.

Race Relations

I'm working on this. Soplas has Humans, Elves, Catfolk - new name needed, -, Orcs, and a number of other species. I do have my Dwarves splitting into two societies with their own prejudices towards each other due to a cultural rift based on xenophobia/xenophilia and superiority in technology.
The only species treated with suspicion would be the Dragonbloods, who grow up into initial adulthood as if they were one of the other species before hitting a second puberty when their draconic bloodlines start to express traits and physically change the person.
However, that suspicion varies from region to region based on how much that region dislikes or villainizes the dragons who held power for the Adrakian Empire's ages.

Class Relations

I have two regions that I'm building as an exploration of class relationships. One, Tormyra, near-caste system is on the cusp of tearing itself apart as magic is becoming more commonplace in their usage and availability. The other is a system of the far-distant ruling elite with little to no communication with the lower classes unless the rulers are inconvenienced. Even then, the ruling class sends out servants in their stead. Theydim has a shifting power base though the middle class has grown more in recent times. However, throughout its history, the people have fought against each other often enough to turn their weapons on their rulers when enough of the population is upset. Then a new ruling leader is chosen as someone who proves they can administer the duties of their new rank.

Gender Relations

My world is less inclined towards judging someone based on gender. I have a Half-Orc warlord whose enemies will first insult her for her Orc blood and nontraditional way of subverting a region from their Arle long before saying anything about her gender and/or sex organs.
I am vague because gender relations in real life is a topic I need to research more heavily. Also, I happen to live in the US, where gender, sex, gender identity, and sexual identity are a big deal. Let me rephrase that - you say you're a woman, you're a woman. I'll refer to you as such because to say otherwise is rude as hell, and quite honestly, I am not an authority on who you are. I also don't think it's anyone else's business to say who you are or are not.
So I need to research more to be better informed in my writing and to catch when I'm being an awful little hypocrite by mistake. If I wanted to be in a world where gender discrimination is part of my daily life, I'd go out my door. As I said, I live in the US. I also work in an underpaid field (education) that is female-dominated (so I sarcastically wonder why this field is underpaid, overworked, and generally disrespected).
I often roll dice and consult a spectrum with two extremes when I'm worldbuilding. I'm rolling to see which extreme characters[0, 1, 2, 10, 11, 12] are closer to, or not close to [6 being "most nonbinary"]. Or I default to female because I have no reason not to when compared to the other extreme. I make the worldbuilding fit if there is some inconsistency.
Also, I have magic in my world. I'm pretty sure that with some species having the ability to shapeshift, someone has been figuring out surgeries or the like to help those who need them for their own sanity.

Sexual Orientation Relations

I admit to a bias on my part for this. I forget to think about romance and sex because they're not a big part of my life. This, like Gender Relations, is another topic I must research more heavily.
Well. People have sex, but I don't see sex as the biggest point of my worldbuilding. What you do in your bedroom is your own business as long as everyone is of age and consents with the knowledge that consent can be revoked at any time.

Military Influence

I'd like to say the military influence is strong in my world, but only one region values being strong in battle. Another would rather outwit and outthink their enemies and use magic to do. At the same time, their neighbor prefers to act from the shadows and win crushing victories. Or rather, I'd say Technology influences militaries more than militaries influencing technology.

Religious Influence

At this point, I intend for religion to be a major part of the world, but I have to "nail down" the finer details. At this time, I have Tormyra preaching the value of balancing between two extremes, Goltheris ruled by guilds who each claim a specific deity as their patron and to serve as opposite to another guild and their respective deity, Theydim where the ancient empire has been erased except as a reminder of when mortals go too far into the realm of the divine, and Five Cities where the gods may or may not be a tool for the ruling class to keep the lower class down.
More details require more worldbuilding time than I have at the moment.

Technology Influence

Technology is a major impact. Technological developments mean certain forms of magic are becoming more commonplace and less exclusive to the elites of wealth or magical society. Where one region rejects the trains of another, they instead have great mechanical steeds. However, I still need to express the impact of technology well. I'm still considering how the technology "tree" developed on Corive when I add magic and factors in species that may live up to 400 years.

Arts and Culture Influence

Art styles vary, and history is complicated. Tormyra and Goltheris utilize art styles of the fallen Adrakian Empire, much as they have kept fragments of the Empire to build their own cultures - their religions are based on a multiple of three and their three primary deities. Theydim, however, had developed an extreme stance towards the remains of the Adrakian Empire. So their art seems simplistic and less realistic. For these regions, I wanted to explore the idea of one area destroying its history to start over. In contrast, other regions build upon the ruins. The Five Cities explores how far I could take the idea of a corporation. Most art is propaganda for the original City that made the art.
The influence of art as a means other than political commentary is something I've always struggled with getting, while I understand how culture influences art because art is how a culture expresses its views.

The Drama

What are your major conflicts?

Allow me to point back to the History Repeats theme for a moment.

Thydian Civil War

The drive to determine a new High King of Theydim, mostly being done by a conflict between two individuals of uncertain leadership qualities or an uncertain claim to the title. The late High King was more interested in conquering but less interested in ruling. However, his would-be successors focus more on leading the whole Theydim region.
This replicates how The Adrakian Empire collapsed from in-fighting and overexpansion.
For an article about how I am working on this conflict point, please read the following:

Tormian Class War

Tormyra has a semi-caste system of Mages, but as those few in power become set in their ways, new developments into magic threaten their grasp and to deliver magic into the hands of the masses.
Tormyra's power structure is based on aspects of how the Adrakians ruled the region - mages and scholars generally held power over the others. Until those mages and scholars began to abuse the people supporting them, the Empire's infighting extended from cultural variants to infighting within those cultures.
For an article about how I am working on this conflict point, please read the following:

Goltherine Guild Wars

Goltheris is becoming like the decadent Adrakian Empire, as the fierce lust for wealth and power threatens to burn out the government and people.
The guilds that are the structure of the Goltherine Government also face fighting between and among each other while the world advances. Some guilds have to change and adapt, while others push for traditions.
For an article working on how I am working on this conflict point, please read the following:

The Forged

The Warforged were created to fight in the Great War, but when they began to show signs of being alive, the war came to a standstill as the moral dilemma of forcing artificial children to fight and die caused a rise of insubordination within the ranks.
For The Adrakian Empire, they faced off against treatments towards the Life Forged individuals and the laws regarding the creation fo the Life Forged. While the two groups were created through different means, they each represent challenges over how society treats people.
For an article about how I am working on this conflict point, please read the following:

The Undermountains

The great Rifts carved into Soplas have been growing deeper, beyond the Dwarves' own city depths, and should anyone be curious enough to look, they'd find the hollowed core looking ... smaller than they expected, and something almost magical seems to be fleeing the core while very little of the same material seems to be going back.
For an article about how I am working on this conflict point, please read the following:

Return of the Adrakian Empire

The Adrakian Empire's influence appears to be returning to the world as people claiming to gain power from the Adrakian gods are holding substantial power - technology, military, magic, economical. And the death of those dragon gods had not been confirmed with one exception.
For an article about how I am working on this conflict point, please read the following:

The Planet

Souls, the world's core comprises souls. Magic-stuff is soul-stuff, and if one pulls too hard to grab for more magic than they already have, they can start to rip the world. Corive is already hemorrhaging souls at the current time, and the souls are not all being "returned" to the core.
For an article about how I am working on this conflict point, please read the following:

What are the Minor Conflicts?

Finger snap to Finger Guns hand gesture
Not sure if I should move the "What the people of X need from each other" here or not.

Setting

What are the rules of Corive?

• There is Magic, and magic users can teach each other. Some mages have an easier time teaching certain mages than other kinds of mages.
• All Pantheons are True

What is the cosmology of Corive?

Allow me to laugh nervously for a moment.

In Corive, all pantheons are true. No one has the recorded "start" of the world. The deities have generally been less specific about the start of the world and more detailed about the beginning of their preferred species.

"Deep Lore" Spoiler

• Corive is a hollow world, and the world's core is made up of magic. Magic is the core of the world, but magic is also souls. All souls have magic to them, allowing anyone to have the ability to learn some form of magic by default. Some souls have more magical affinity than others
• Corive is a dream.

Deities Spoiler

Corive is a dream of the World-Dreamer, but waking the World-Dreamer would result in the destruction of the world. Then the creation of a new world occurs when the World Dreamer resumes their sleep. Whatever happens to the occupants of the Plane of Dreams - the form of the World-Dreamer themself - is uncertain. Deities who have been forgotten wander the Plane of Dreams, losing their fragments until only the core of their identity remains and then begins to fade away.

What is the geography of Corive?

I keep vague about the exact geographic descriptions because I'm still working on making a world map I like.

Soplas

Soplas is a subcontinent connected to Supercontinent A. To the distant north of Soplas, across the North Sea, the sinking remains of a broken continent are being forgotten by history.

All across Soplas, there are massive rifts that look as if someone drew a map of Soplas before stabbing it as if the map were Julius Ceasar before the Senate.

Northern and North-west Soplas, generally called Theydim, is a colder region with flat lands between the rifts and a handful of mountains before the western coast of the subcontinent, where a mountain range climbs up to see the world.

The South-Western region of Soplas, Tormyra, is a mountainous plateau magically made into a territory similar to lower elevations.
Under Soplas, sometimes accessible through the rifts and more often found under the World Spine Mountains, is the deep homeland of the Dwarves often called the Undermountains .

Central Soplas is a meeting point for geographical regions and is valuable farmland from the rivers running through it. It is, suitably, referred to as the Contested Lands.

Eastern Soplas is a damp swamp-like region leading into the Northern Sea, leading to the region's cold water. I need to give it a better name than the Five Cities Region since the name references the cities and I would assume geographical regions exist before cities. or maybe they fight over the name? Hmmm...

Southern Soplas is a warmer region that used to receive more rain in the ancient days of the Adrakian Empire. However, it becomes a wasteland as the inhabitants turn towards technology to keep themselves alive. Goltheris is an exploration in desertification as well.

Supercontinent A

Needs more details

Continent B

Other side of the planet, also needs more details

The Far North

The sinking lands across the North Sea of Soplas. I need to write more details.

The following maps will load up off-center

Soplas Map

Soplas Political Map

Open full size

Supercontinent A Map

Someday, a map will be here

Continent B Map

Someday, a map will be here

The Far North Map

Someday, a map will be here

Initial size of the campaign?

My players began in Oakenfield and the Citadel of Kaygys, and then we went to Bastadina before returning to Theydim. So the initial size was a town and a ruin.

My current (2022, 2023) plan is to stick with two provinces of Theydim for now - Felkhath and Vetheriss Arlings.

The Original Oakenfield Map

Oakenfield and surrounding areas

Open full size

People and their History

Who used to live in Corive?

Species Origins from Ancient History

Humans' ancestors originally came from the sinking continent to the North. Still, when they landed on Theydim, they found it occupied but struggled with the environment. These ancestors were eventually the ancestors of Goliaths, then Orcs, and Humans came along during the early Adrakian age as Human-Humans. The ancestors, Goliaths, Orcs, and Humans are all "Human" as a species type and are related closely enough to be like dog breeds and how they're all dogs - just different kinds of dogs. Bad example, I need to find a better one, but it's late, and I can't right now.

Elves are a descendant of an elven ancestor species and the ancient human ancestors who came south, making the Elves a hybrid species. This is also why Elves, Humans, Orcs, and Goliaths are the only mortal species that can have hybrids.

The supernatural folk - Children of Nature, Faeries, others of their kinds, are supernatural even to a world of magic. Hence, their hybrid offspring are a different story from others - namely the hybrid offspring are effectively the mortal parent's species with supernatural traits.

Who used to or currently lives in Soplas, and what's their history?

• Theydim used to be a part of The Adrakian Empire. It is now mostly human-occupied, but Humans tend to wander and explore places, so humans have spread out from Theydim into the other regions.

  There are still Adrakian Empire ruins, but there are also some ruins that seem older and of different cultures.
  Thydians generally consider themselves as people of their Arling before thinking of themselves as Thydians, unless out among non-Thydians.
  Theydim has rarely had a High King, feeding into the disassociation between older individuals presently struggling to call themselves Thydians before thinking of their respective arling as the name for their identity.

Feroia

Feroia - an Arling of Theydim, there are Adrakian ruins, but also ruins of seemingly elven origin in the southern parts. The land is heavily forested as the province goes in the north-western mountains of the range along the western shore of Soplas.

Feroia as a region has a history of being a battlefield between Theydim and Tormyra, as it shares its southern border with Tormyra, so the people have a more relaxed view towards magic when Tormyra is a magical-based government, but like Theydim, it has a strong anti-Adrakian Empire bias.

The people of Feroia generally do not pay more than lip service to the High King of Theydim - when there is one - nor to their own Arle, Tigh Turlan as the High King was responsible for managing a war. The Arle does little for his people and allows alternative leaders to take his role instead.

Norrasjo

Norrasjo - the Arling to the north of Felkhath, named for the fact it borders the sea to the north of Soplas. The North Sea has ancient ruins that seem to predate the few Adrakian ruins in the province of unknown origin. This region is currently not very well defined yet by me.

Capital

Atemkyst

Fjellstrand

Jordelv

Flachsteengroeve

Horfadal

Felkhath

Felkhath is an Arling to the north and east of Feroia. The land is generally flat and occupied by farmers and herders.

Historically speaking, Felkhath is a relaxed region concerning outsiders because it is a bread-basket region for Theydim in general, and merchants are often welcome.

Though marketing preference is given to Thydian merchants, and among the Thydian merchants, Felkhath residences prefer fellows from Felkhath.

The people of Felkhath generally adore their Arle, Nunciel Great-Cook because he has generally chosen to care for his people and recognize his rule only exists for as long as the people he governs consent.

Vetheriss

Vetheriss - a region where the people used to control theirs and Norrasjo until Norrasjo broke away as their own Arling. While many have allowed for the handful of centuries since to soothe wounds, others still dream of expansion and the glory involved.

Ostufer

Alleklint

Stendal

Ertsklif

Zimaskog

Enjorde

• Tormyra also used to be a part of The Adrakian Empire and is ruled over by their royal family. In the ancient past, the Elves migrated from the lowlands to Tormyra. However, the reason has been forgotten under the rule of the Adrakian Empire, as well as records of who had lived in Tormyra previously.

  Elves tend to live long lives (200). So their population is smaller than the population of Humans and other peoples (most have a lifespan of about 80-150 years) who live in Tormyra. Still, elves are generally seen in positions of power and rank. Many humans live in Tormyra now, leading to a growing population of Half-Elves.
  Tormians are generally wary of drastic changes. Still, their high elven population has led to a general consensus that caution is the best direction for survival, not brash action.

Lowlands Tormyra

Highlands Tormyra

• The Five Cities Region to be further developed

Hydme

Hydme City

Southard City

Southard City

Hallomin City

Hallomin City

City 4

The Fourth of the Five Cities

City 5

Factory City 5

• Goltheris to be further developed

District

District

• The Contested Lands to be further developed

ContestedLandArlingNameHere

ContestedLandArlingNameHere

ContestedLandRegionTormyra

ContestedLandRegionTormyra

What do the peoples of Corive need from each other?

Soplas

Tormyra Needs

Tormyra from Theydim

Tormyra from the Five Cities

Tormyra from Goltheris

Tormyra from the Contested Lands

What do the people of Tormyra's regions need from each other?

I might need to replace this with a needs-based diplomacy web later.

Region

Region

Theydim Needs

Theydim from Tormyra

Theydim from the Five Cities

Theydim from Goltheris

Theydim from the Contested Lands

What do the people of the Arlings within Theydim need from each other?

I might need to replace this with a needs-based diplomacy web later.

Feroia

Feroia is a border region and has been reliant upon other Thydians for maintaining its defense against Tormyra. It may have grown lax about that need. Still, the other Arlings need Feroia for trendy Tormian items that gain favor with the nobles of Theydim.

Norrasjo

Norrasjo needs more defining by Lyraine. They can't just be coastal places that used to be one Arling with Vetheriss, after all. However, both have a harbor.

Capital

Atemkyst

Felkhath

Felkhath is a more central region and a more pastoral and sheep-based region. While some parts have been destroyed by wars and recovering slowly, Felkhath is a primarily stable province in Theydim.

Vetheriss

Vetheriss needs more defining by Lyraine. They can't just be coastal places that used to be one Arling with Norrasjo, after all. However, both have a harbor. Vetheriss is more resource-starved due to its coastline being entirely useless for farming.

Ostufer

Alleklint

Fjellstrand

Jordelv

Flachsteengroeve

Horfadal

Stendal

Ertsklif

Zimaskog

Enjorde

The Five Cities Need

Five Cities from Tormyra

Five Cities from Theydim

Five Cities from Goltheris

Five Cities from the Contested Lands

What do the people of the Five Cities need from each other?

Hydme City

Southard City

Hallomin

City 4

City 5

Goltheris Need

Goltheris from Tormyra

Goltheris from Theydim

Goltheris from the Five Cities

Goltheris from the Contested Lands

What do the people of Goltheris' Districts need from each other?

I might need to replace this with a needs-based diplomacy web later.

District

District

The Contested Lands Need

Contested Lands from Tormyra

Contested Lands from Theydim

Contested Lands from the Five Cities

Contested Lands from Goltheris

What do the people of the Contested Lands need from each other?

ContestedLandsArlingNameLater

ContestedLandsRegionTormyra

Closing

I honestly have no idea how I'm to close this meta article because as you can read above, there are a lot of gaps, and this is a hard thing to wrap up as a whole scope scale.

I guess, at best, I need to next update my To-Do, viewable by everyone article. And whatever else I've said I'm working on based on the current Event's Prep article. For further reading, I have the articles under this one, and the rest of Corive

World Encyclopedia

Player Companion

Directory of Tags

Directory of Tags

The Encyclopedia

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