Nahgia
Planet Nahgia
The world of Nahgia is a very old world. It has a kind of Lifeforce within it that keeps everything in balance. Everything is connected and contributes to the health of the planet, and the balance maintained by it. However, it it dying, like all living things eventually do. It's not due to any fault of the creatures that inhabit it, or due to any natural disaster. The life force that maintains everything is fading simply due to the passage of time. It started as a vision all living things experienced. Then, the gods vanished, and divine magic is now only sustained by sheer faith alone. Then The Weave, the net of magical energies that flows through the world, began to unravel and fray. Arcane magic became more unpredictable and wild, with some areas becoming completely void of Arcane magic.
The Planet Structure
The planet is made of 3 main layers; The crust, the mantle, and the core. The crust is a thin layer on the outer edge where most creatures are able to live. The mantle is a thick layer of compressed, heated rock. The core is the centre of the planet, and is a boiling mass of molten iron that maintains an electromagnetic field to shield the planet from solar rays from the sun. It also contains a very rare magical material which generates a similar field of magical energy which allows for The Weave to exist. The surface of the planet contains 5 main continents, with the largest being The Maldeves and the smallest being the Calgari Islands. A large percentage of the planet is covered by vast oceans, much of which is unexplored. The land, meanwhile, is mostly explored and colonised, save for a few tiny islands. There are a total of 28 civilised races living in the 59 kingdoms that span the planet. Across those 59 kingdoms, there are a total of roughly 160 million people.Geography
Creation
Long ago, there were four elemental titans; Nix, the titan of fire; Gorok, the titan of earth; Harana, the titan of air; and Shou, the titan of water. These four titans were born of the black sea of creation, and were at constant war with each other over space. Shou would break apart the hard rock armour that Gorok maintained, Gorok would smother the fires that Nix encouraged, Nix would create plumes of dark smoke to pollute the skies that Harana explored, and Harana would freeze the vast waters that Shou nurtured. The fights were long and brutal, but not a single titan could defeat the others. Then, one day, the titans saw something rising from the black sea. The debris from their fights had fallen into the sea, and eventually combined together to form a small baby. Instantly, the titans stopped their fighting. They decided that they would raise this child, for it had been born of them. They named the child Huum, meaning Child of the Elements.
As Huum grew, the titans each taught them of their wisdom and imparted them with their gifts. Gorok taught Huum how to be loyal, brave, and dependable, and imparted to Huum their strength. Harana taught Huum to be adventurous, imaginative, and free-spirited, and imparted to Huum their creativity. Nix taught Huum to be bold, enthusiastic, and willing to take risks, and imparted to Huum their passion. Shou taught Huum to be thoughtful, patient, and careful, and imparted to Huum their sensitivity.
Eventually, Huum grew up into a planet. Remembering the lessons that the titans had taught them, the planet was rich and abundant with resources. It didn't take long for plants and animals to appear, from the frozen poles, to the tropical equator. Everything was balanced. As a "thank you" to the titans that raised them, Huum created four homes for their four parents, so they would no longer have to fight for space and had their own realms where they could rest in peace.
This story is based on the well known creation myth, Huum and the Titans Creation Myth. This myth has spread far and wide, and is common knowledge to most people in one way or another, though cultural variations are common based on various racial and cultural social values and ideals.
Present Day
The planet of Nahgia has a variety of biomes. The poles are covered in large ice sheets which slowly transition into taiga biomes, with the temperature increasing the closer to the equator you go. Large portions of the planet are covered with forests, some of which recieve frequent rainfalls due to the wind cycle. The temperature averages around 14 degrees, with the poles able to reach a frigid -90 degrees celsius in the winter, and summer temperature at the equator able to reach a sweltering 60 degrees celsius. The planet has 5 main continents; The Maldeves, Pentus, Calgari Islands, Rosewater , and Forgotten Plateau. Between these continents are 7 seas; the Shasou sea, the Stourchar sea, the Forsevin sea, the Kawvander sea, the Cantounte sea, the Mantish sea, and the Taduer sea. The planet has a slight tilt in its' axis, resulting in distinct seasons for most of the planet. The rotation on its' axis has resulted in the planet becoming slightly squashed. It also has 3 moons, which gravitationally influence the vast oceans and create the tide. The closest is Fosano, and it's also the smallest. The next closest is Vavune, and it's also the largest of the three moons. It's a lot further away than Fosano, so looks significantly smaller than it actually is. The furthest moon is called Vune, and it has the longest cycle of all the moons because of it's distance. It seems to creep across the sky compared to the other moons. The planet is easily able to maintain an atmosphere due to its' size, with nitrogen being the most abundant element contained by a substantial margin, with oxygen being the next closest. The planet is kept alive and in balance by a series of cycles, known as the Lifeforce. The water cycle erodes the mountains and deposits the materials it picks up into lakes and the ocean for the creatures that live there, only to evaporate into clouds to start the cycle over again. The food web moves energy from the abundant sunlight and soil into an edible form in plants and herbivorous animals, which are then hunted by carnivores, and all of these living creatures eventually die one way or the other and become food for decomposers in the soil, converting the dead plant and animal matter back into minerals necessary for the plants that started the food chain. The planetary crust also self-recycles, as parts are forced deeper by overlapping sections of crust at mountain ranges, melting and breaking apart until it's forced back to the surface in a volcanic eruption or to fill a gap between the crust sections caused by an earthquake.Fauna & Flora
Ecosystem Health
The planet Nahgia has a rich ecosystem, carefully balanced to maintain the food chain. Plants, prey, and predators all rely on the others, and self monitors. If there's a population boom of prey, the predators will similarly boom with the abundance of food. If prey gets hard to come by, predator populations similarly drop to match. A variety of creatures contribute to this balance, from the expected like rabbits, foxes, badgers, and bears, to the more exotic, like the various dinosaurs that can be found on the Calgari Islands, or the dragon turtles and krakens in the oceans, or the giants and harpies in the mountainous icy regions. Certain biomes lend themselves better to some creatures over others depending on that creature's preferences, so the variety of biomes proves beneficial in providing a abundant habitat types. Likewise with plants, the dense forests and ideal climate result in all kinds of plants from the common to the bizarre, and from the mundane to the sentient. It's even said that communities of awakened plants and fungus can be found in the deepest of forests if you know where to look.Present Dangers
As fortunate as it is to have this flourishing ecosystem, it presents many dangers too. There are many a man-eating plant, just as there are dangerous monsters and predators. Adventuring unprepared into the unexplored is to invite danger and your untimely death. Many merchants that are forced to travel the long roads between towns bring along bodyguards, not only to protect themselves from bandits or human dangers, but also to defend against the dangers of the wild. The wilderness has also become even more unpredictable and treacherous due to the fading Lifeforce of the planet. As the planet is dying, the reliable cycles that keep everything balanced and maintained are breaking down and crumbling. Fluctuating prey populations, and starving predators make for a dangerous combination when you're the only prey item for miles around.Natural Resources
Plant and Animal Products
With so many large areas of the planet covered by forests, it's no surprise that wood is easy to come across. Even the kindoms in the coldest reaches often have access to taiga forests, with large pines and other evergreens which make for suitable sources for wood. Fertile lands are more common in the warmer reaches, especially in the grasslands of The Maldeves. Kingdoms that have access to these lands often make agriculture their main exports, and are very profitable as they share their produce to those less able to grow food, like those near the poles or within the desert. Wool and cotton are also grown in these fertile lands, whether they be on cotton vines or shaved from domesticated sheep. In areas that don't have especially fertile lands, there's also the option of hunting wild animals for food, as game meat can still be found where less ideal plants grow. The adventurous kind, both the brave and the foolish, sometimes try to hunt animals of the monstrous kind as well where huntable game meats are more scarce. Luxury materials, like wine, silk, and spices, are made in a few areas. Nu Majam is the main lead producer for most of these products, but smaller operations can be found dotted across Nahgia. Silks, of which there are 2 kinds, are mainly made of the continent of Pentus due to the ideal climate found tere for the silk plants and silk bugs. Grapes for wine can be grown in more places, with dwarven wines (and ales) being the most experimental and exotic, compared with the more domestic brands Nu Majam exports. There are several kingdoms able to grow various spices, ranging from the hot ghostfire peppers in Unnafof, to the sweet belltree flowers of Northampuf, to the cool friss leaves of Nu Majam and Groalfarl.Minerals
Most minerals are mined from dwarven-owned mines found in many mountain ranges. Different resources are found at different depths, with mines often labled by the workers by which levels it reaches. There are very few mines not run by dwarves, and this is a fact that the dwarven race holds with pride. Any mines not run by dwarves, or that don't have dwarves as the majority of workers, are either kept a close secret or risk the wrath of all dwarven clans in the local area. The shallowest of mines are called Zana mines, or Stone mines in common, and this is where stone is mined mostly. These mines tend to be more like quarries, and can focus on materials from sandstone to marble, and don't go very deep. The next level down is called Aldr Zana, or Fire stone, and this is where coal is mined. It's slightly deeper, but it's where the most mundane of mined minerals can be found. Tin and copper can also be found in this layer. The next layer is called Ornzar, or Iron, and this is where iron ore can be found. Mines that go this deep often have on-site blacksmiths that make use of this iron. This is important, as this layer can be home to a variety of dangerous burrowing creatures, so self-protection weapons and armor are essencial. Below the Ornzar layer is the first layer where basic iron tools are not quite strong enough to be completely effective. This layer is called the Klarth layer, or Steel layer, named after the fact that well-crafted steel or enchanted tools start being needed. This isn't just because of the hard stone, but also the increasing strength of the local creatures. No new minerals are found at this depth that aren't found higher up, but the lable simply describes the increasing challenge of the creatures and the stone. The highest entrances to the hidden, dangerous world of the underdark are also found here. The next layer is called the Laeg layer, or Glass layer. This is due to the sharp increase in abundance of gem stones and geodes. Crystal caverns full of glass-like staligtites and staligmites can be found here too. This is often why many mines persevere through the tough Klarth layer and all the challenges that creates. The next layer is the first where highly valuable minerals are found, rather than utility like iron ore or pretty like the gems of the Laeg layer. The Glang layer, or gold layer, is where gold and silver can be found, the basis for the world's currency. Other than sheer wealth and monetary value, gold has very little other purposes due to how soft it is. The lack of other utility purposes, its' rarity, and the difficulty in mimicking its' appearance without magic, is mainly the reasons why it was chosen as a form of currency. Likewise with silver, though silver has some usage as an electrical conducter and isn't as soft as gold. This layer also is home to some burrowing dragons, due to dragons affinity and attraction to the material. The Glang layer is the first to become uncomfortably hot. Below the Glang layer is another very valuable layer, though the number of mines that go this deep due to the high tempuratures from being so deep. This is the Grethir layer, or diamond layer. As expected, diamonds can be found here, and are sold for quite a profit. Platinum, mithral, and adamantine ore can also be found at this depth, with all three often being used in crafting very powerful weapons and armor which are very receptive to magical enchantments. Mithral in particular is considered very valuable to elven master blacksmiths, who consider mastery of the challenging material a sign of skill and pride. Below the Grethir layer is the Gevik layer, or the Magic layer. Only a handful of mines reach this far down, and for good reason. The ambient temperature from the depth of the mine is comparable to the Maldeve desert, the stone is so compressed that mining it becomes a slow process, even with enchanted tools and magic, and the creatures that live so far deep are incredably powerful and dangerous. Of top of that, most of this layer firmly belongs to the hidden and dangerous world of the underdark, where you're just as likely to be enslaved by drow or have your brain devoured by a mind flayer. However, for those capable of surviving at this depth, the rare but highly sought after Magis Ore can be found. This ore has a strong affinity with magic and is said to bolster the strength of the magic cast by the holder. It can also be ground up and added to potions to enhance the power of the potion, or used in the creation of runes to a similar effect. Magic casters the world over pay a high price to get access to some of this rare ore, making it a rich investment should the mine owner and workers be willing and able to endure the heat and the danger of digging this deep. The deepest level that any mine has reached is called the Ublothaldr layer, or Lava layer. Mines that reach this layer often do so accidentally, and it's so unbearably hot and dangerous that it's very quickly abandonned. Not much is known about this layer because of this, but no usable resources have been successfully recovered from this layer thus far. The label is often used to describe a mine that's reached its' dead-end point, or has dug too deep.Instability
As the Lifeforce of the planet grows weak, instability in the abundance of these natural resources grows. From pockets of the forests growing barren and dying, to crops failing and causing famines, things that were once certain are less so. Even the various mines are running dry, with the deepest mines being the worst affected. As for the magical Magis Ore, though it still increases the potency of magic runes and potions, it too is growing unpredictable and sometimes causes magical mishaps similar to the effects of wild magic. However, it still seems to function as a conduit to cast spells through, and seems more consistant than a spellcaster without. This is due to being such a concentrated source of magical power, meaning it better maintains The Weave of magic that surrounds it if it's kept intact. When it's crushed up, like when it's added to potions and runes, it loses this ability.Maps
-
Nahgia Kingdoms Map
The world is split into many kingdoms of varying sizes, populations, and racial distributions. This map shows all those kingdoms, as well as various facts about those kingdoms. -
Nahgia Geographic Overview
An overview of the world of Nahgia. It has a total of 5 continents, and several islands. The continents are known as Pentus, the Calgari Islands, the Maldeves, the Forgotten Plateau, And the Rosewaters. The Maldeves is also split into two parts; The north is known as the Northern Maldeves, and the south is the Tartiera Aggregate.
Alternative Name(s)
Nahgia (common and undercommon), Vehlow (elvish), Gaiak (dwarvish), Gorok (giant), Gaitak (gnomish), Thruum (goblin), Hom (halfling), Frum (orcish), Gorviss (abyssal), Gaia (celestial and draconic), Gorvish (infernal), Huum (primordial), Matissia (sylvan)
Type
Planet
Included Locations
Related Myths
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments