Omwela
The Land Of Lost And Living History
omwela is the largest continent and the one with the oldest history, stretching back 5000 years to the beginning of civilization. it has contained many kingdoms, empires, and nations, each varying drastically from the last. its lands and regions are of equal diversity, such as the rocky hills of balos versus the dark swamps of mosannd, all entangled in a web of history, culture, and myth.
Geography
omwela is the largest of the continents, located between asena and tresh, and it's likely the most diverse, being home to many peoples, cultures, and civilizations spread across a lengthy history. thus it is difficult to summarize the continent concisely, however, it can - broadly- be split into four macro-regions and 15 distinct regions, each with its own histories, societies, and communities inhabiting them.
Balos is a rocky, cold land spanning from the strait of amison to the omwelian ringpeaks, separating Naltry from the rest of the continent. the region's topography is notably rugged, with the entire area choked by many hills and Burrunds, creating a vast stretch of valleys and winding rivers. the balish live mainly in several large population centers along the four most prominent rivers; the slinio, the englao, the nelendango, and the rolaio, collectively known as the balleuao, or king's rivers. balos, though its own region, is historically and culturally linked with Naltry, as they were both ruled by the lost empire of hleng'gal, an ancient and powerful kingdom, which fell to the orilons in 90 UE.
*Tyetol is a flat, broad land of plains and scraggly forests whose eastern and southern border is marked by the Unwept Tears river, it's western by the Lenlosa Mountains, and it's northern by the dordeana plains. the region is named for the city of Tyet, located in the middle of the eye of retphha, a vast burrund near to which a large share of the population lives. this feeds into the massive Tears Of Retphha river that waters the otherwise broadly barren land and brings life to the region.
*The Dordeana Plains
salnarae rests between tiar and sarvos on the omwelian heartcoast; the region consists of humid swamps and wide open plains, great for farming. storms frequently batter the land, leading to most people living inland; the population mainly concentrates in the serenae valley, between the heernel and keathai rivers. salnarae is notably marshy and low-lying, with the land in a constant state of halfway flooded, forcing the salnari to adapt by building raised villages, traveling via shallow boats, and constructing complex flood works to drain areas; all to deal with the water.
tiar is often wrongly lumped together with salnarae because of their shared rule and historical ties, though it's geographically and culturally distinct, making it a separate region. tirent cultural erasure has long been a contentious issue in the tiar, sparking revolts and attempted breakaways from salnarae. tiar's topography is similarly flat to that of salnarae and mosannd, but it is far dryer than either, boasting mainly plains and forests. the region is also colder and arider, leaving it less populated and bountiful. tiar is less storm-battered than salnarae or sarvos as well, with the isle of nalacraust 150 miles of shore taking the brunt of the impact, shielding the region.
The Mistedlands, lying to the north of mosannd and along the straits of sfarin, gets its name from the strange and pervasive fog that blankets the area, obscuring terrain and supposedly blocking travel. five steep mountains -unconnected to the landscape- and a ring of tall pine forests mark the border with mosannd; beyond this point, the area's geography is broadly uncertain, shrouded in myth and legend. history and folklore attest that no one can or has ventured into the mistedlands and returned to speak of it, but many have tried. the most notable attempt was by the curier, reshel onvas of Tyet, who led an expedition in 743 LE to find the averclol, the native people of mosannd; people widely believed they fled the region northward, into the mistedlands. the venture departed with 250 people, 12 of whom returned after five months, speaking of monsters in human skin performing dark rituals; over the next century, Tyet made four follow-up expeditions, none of which returned.
mosannd is a region mainly covered by a vast mangrove swamp that extends from and connects with the tears of Retphha river and the renenk river, which mark the western and southern borders. in the east mosannd meets tiar in an area known as the border plains, where Salnarae and mosannd -once Tyet - have fought many wars, while in the west, the region connects with dordeana and hleni across the rivers border rivers. the united principalities of mosannd originally were part of Tyet and is now home to the descendants of tyetian settlers; but once -pre-200 SE- it was home to a tribal people, similar to the animan, called the averclol. this group lived as hunters and anglers; they had no writing system and limited technology, thus little is known of them other than they existed, and tyetian settlers killed them and forced them away.
*Fhlitanol
Teleth is an arid and colder land found at the foot of the ringpeaks and bordered by the sanskorsal river. the region is broadly flat and barren of trees and forests, stretching into a dreary and stoney steppe, home to the telethese, a fiercely xenophobic and feudal people. travelers also know teleth as The Sealed Kingdom because it's closed to outsiders and for the perceived strangeness in its religion; orilonism, the worship of the ancient orilons.
The Stonescut Isles is a collection of islands beyond the ringpeaks, on the fringes of omwela. the islands were originally settled by sarvosi explorers and they now remain sparsely populated. the few people who do live there live primarily off the land and rarely intermingle; there are several villages on the larger isles, but these act as more trade stops than towns, little more than market places and inns.
hleni is a mountainous region running diagonally, bordering teleth in the west and the straits of sfarin in the east. the area is split in half by the skeskail river, with two tribes ruling either zone and often warring for power and the favor of their gods. the hleni people -aside from feuding among themselves- also frequently raid into teleth, animanol, and tyet, seeking plunder and retreating to the mountains; many forces have tried to crush the hleni, but they have always proved more stalwart than expected.
Animanol, also called osnarl, is a large cold region cradled between the ringpeaks and the hleni mountains, covered by a dense woodland home to many strange things twisted by the frost. in this mysterious forest dwell the osalskor, tribes of hunters and trappers, each relegated to different domains and having distinct societies. each tribe selects and serves the Godking, ruler of osnarl, and spiritual leader for the osalskor who reigns from slottisal, the largest settlement in osnarl and center of animism. two rivers converged to form the river ovvalbond in southern osnarl, which runs north into the strait of sfarin and flows around the step stone islands, pressed between omwela and tresh. this strait freezes every four years -because colder water from the empty sea flows in, creating a land bridge between the two continents that lasts six months.
Southern Omwela
Naltry is a large region of hills and valleys dotted by thick forests of bamboo, which are most prevalent in the south but still cover much of the area. the land is primarily segmented from the rest of omwela by the ringpeaks to the west and the suoi mountains to the east; in the northeast, there are two primary passes through these mountains called the gates of Naltry closely guarded by the naltrinese for fear of foreigners. in the south, most outside trade flow through the city of yuoi on the isle of ytel -called "the vibrant city" by foreigners- at the mouth of the niin river. on the same river is the city of hlong, the capital, known for its various canals and waterworks alongside sweeping wooden palaces and temples, all built of bamboo and stretched silk.
Balos is a rocky, cold land spanning from the strait of amison to the omwelian ringpeaks, separating Naltry from the rest of the continent. the region's topography is notably rugged, with the entire area choked by many hills and Burrunds, creating a vast stretch of valleys and winding rivers. the balish live mainly in several large population centers along the four most prominent rivers; the slinio, the englao, the nelendango, and the rolaio, collectively known as the balleuao, or king's rivers. balos, though its own region, is historically and culturally linked with Naltry, as they were both ruled by the lost empire of hleng'gal, an ancient and powerful kingdom, which fell to the orilons in 90 UE.
Central Omwela
Jaenathar is an open flat land of savannahs, winding rivers, and tall grasslands between sarvos and balos. much of the region is covered by thick vegetation called heumpor grass, particularly so in the south along the coast. this grass can reach 15ft in height and creates a unique ecosystem of plants and animals. one of such is the giraffe, which, having been domesticated by jaenathids, is used in agriculture and warfare. this once gave the jaenathids a fearsome reputation as terrifying mounted warriors, known for striking with speed and ferocity. but, this reputation waned with time as sarvos and, Tyet built defensive works and began to repel their attacks, thus jaenathid power weakened. this decline came to head in 1590 SE when sarvos invaded and ultimately annexed the region; later in the 1660s, during the 1st war of pride, jaenathar fell under the control of Salnarae, where it remains despite the wishes of its people.
*Tyetol is a flat, broad land of plains and scraggly forests whose eastern and southern border is marked by the Unwept Tears river, it's western by the Lenlosa Mountains, and it's northern by the dordeana plains. the region is named for the city of Tyet, located in the middle of the eye of retphha, a vast burrund near to which a large share of the population lives. this feeds into the massive Tears Of Retphha river that waters the otherwise broadly barren land and brings life to the region.
*The Dordeana Plains
Eastern Omwela
Sarvos lies pressed between jaenathar and salnarae, and culturally it resembles neither. historically the region was ruled by The Ascendant/Fennant Empire, then after its fall in 187, LE the 1st sarvosi empire rose out of that, claiming its legacy as its own. now the salnari rule sarvos, since the collapse of its empire in 1665, but the sarvosi have fought multiple rebellions -including an active one- to gain independence or return imperial rule. the topography of sarvos is very hilly, especially so along the northern border with salnarae, while more to the south terrain is forested and lush, with dense pine woods. in the west is the ballenar river, which runs down from the ilkoyan mountains and marks the geographic border with jaenathar -though, the river does swoop east and cut off a slice of largely sarvosi land.
salnarae rests between tiar and sarvos on the omwelian heartcoast; the region consists of humid swamps and wide open plains, great for farming. storms frequently batter the land, leading to most people living inland; the population mainly concentrates in the serenae valley, between the heernel and keathai rivers. salnarae is notably marshy and low-lying, with the land in a constant state of halfway flooded, forcing the salnari to adapt by building raised villages, traveling via shallow boats, and constructing complex flood works to drain areas; all to deal with the water.
tiar is often wrongly lumped together with salnarae because of their shared rule and historical ties, though it's geographically and culturally distinct, making it a separate region. tirent cultural erasure has long been a contentious issue in the tiar, sparking revolts and attempted breakaways from salnarae. tiar's topography is similarly flat to that of salnarae and mosannd, but it is far dryer than either, boasting mainly plains and forests. the region is also colder and arider, leaving it less populated and bountiful. tiar is less storm-battered than salnarae or sarvos as well, with the isle of nalacraust 150 miles of shore taking the brunt of the impact, shielding the region.
The Mistedlands, lying to the north of mosannd and along the straits of sfarin, gets its name from the strange and pervasive fog that blankets the area, obscuring terrain and supposedly blocking travel. five steep mountains -unconnected to the landscape- and a ring of tall pine forests mark the border with mosannd; beyond this point, the area's geography is broadly uncertain, shrouded in myth and legend. history and folklore attest that no one can or has ventured into the mistedlands and returned to speak of it, but many have tried. the most notable attempt was by the curier, reshel onvas of Tyet, who led an expedition in 743 LE to find the averclol, the native people of mosannd; people widely believed they fled the region northward, into the mistedlands. the venture departed with 250 people, 12 of whom returned after five months, speaking of monsters in human skin performing dark rituals; over the next century, Tyet made four follow-up expeditions, none of which returned.
mosannd is a region mainly covered by a vast mangrove swamp that extends from and connects with the tears of Retphha river and the renenk river, which mark the western and southern borders. in the east mosannd meets tiar in an area known as the border plains, where Salnarae and mosannd -once Tyet - have fought many wars, while in the west, the region connects with dordeana and hleni across the rivers border rivers. the united principalities of mosannd originally were part of Tyet and is now home to the descendants of tyetian settlers; but once -pre-200 SE- it was home to a tribal people, similar to the animan, called the averclol. this group lived as hunters and anglers; they had no writing system and limited technology, thus little is known of them other than they existed, and tyetian settlers killed them and forced them away.
Northwestern Omwela
Teleth is an arid and colder land found at the foot of the ringpeaks and bordered by the sanskorsal river. the region is broadly flat and barren of trees and forests, stretching into a dreary and stoney steppe, home to the telethese, a fiercely xenophobic and feudal people. travelers also know teleth as The Sealed Kingdom because it's closed to outsiders and for the perceived strangeness in its religion; orilonism, the worship of the ancient orilons.
The Stonescut Isles is a collection of islands beyond the ringpeaks, on the fringes of omwela. the islands were originally settled by sarvosi explorers and they now remain sparsely populated. the few people who do live there live primarily off the land and rarely intermingle; there are several villages on the larger isles, but these act as more trade stops than towns, little more than market places and inns.
hleni is a mountainous region running diagonally, bordering teleth in the west and the straits of sfarin in the east. the area is split in half by the skeskail river, with two tribes ruling either zone and often warring for power and the favor of their gods. the hleni people -aside from feuding among themselves- also frequently raid into teleth, animanol, and tyet, seeking plunder and retreating to the mountains; many forces have tried to crush the hleni, but they have always proved more stalwart than expected.
Animanol, also called osnarl, is a large cold region cradled between the ringpeaks and the hleni mountains, covered by a dense woodland home to many strange things twisted by the frost. in this mysterious forest dwell the osalskor, tribes of hunters and trappers, each relegated to different domains and having distinct societies. each tribe selects and serves the Godking, ruler of osnarl, and spiritual leader for the osalskor who reigns from slottisal, the largest settlement in osnarl and center of animism. two rivers converged to form the river ovvalbond in southern osnarl, which runs north into the strait of sfarin and flows around the step stone islands, pressed between omwela and tresh. this strait freezes every four years -because colder water from the empty sea flows in, creating a land bridge between the two continents that lasts six months.
Localized Phenomena
omwela's most unique phenomena are Burrunds, small plateaus most with a broad sink-hole/lake in their center. the lakes in their centers feed many rivers in both omwela and asena; most major rivers in omwela, like the keathai river in salnarae and the nelendango in balos, are formed from Burrunds. but the largest is burrund is the one in which tyet lies, known as the eye of retphha, a vast circular lake which feeds the tears of retphha. the origin of the Burrunds dates back to the orilons, who once ruled much of omwela and asena; why and how they built them remains a mystery, but they radically reshaped both continents by creating new rivers and changing ecosystems.
Natural Resources
omwela has many notable exports, but none are more famous than The Dyes Of Naltry: all of which come from a group of flowers, called the yerni, that only grow along the niin river and are known for their vivid greens, blues, and purples. yerni flowers have been picked by the naltrinese for thousands of years for use in various inks and dyes, partially in purple, which is their main staple and the color on the naltrinese flag. these inks and tints, or the flowers themselves, are exported in bulk by naltrinese merchants to many eager markets in omwela and asena, where they are a valued commodity, fetching high prices and holding a luxury status.
salnarae is well known for its unique and valuable Spices, including; kalavae-keathai, a mild and sweet seasoning beloved in holy asena; charream, a tangy herb used to preserve meat on long journeys; yullaeos, a potent and spicy flavoring used widely in salnari cuisine, and many others. these various spices and herbs are globally valued -by those who can afford them, at least- and they are a core export for salnarae, bringing great wealth and prestige to the kingdom.
*balos is notably rich in metals and minerals buried just beneath its craggy hills and slopes. it is mainly home to vast deposits of copper and tin, the ingredients for bronze, for which the region was historically known. also, found further west, there are substantial pockets of onyx near the base of the suoi mountains and the ringpeaks.
the defining feature of jaenathar is its Heumpor Grass, a tall stiff plant that grows most strongly in the south. the plant can reach up to 15ft in height, with a thick stalk tapering into several large fronds. the jaenathid people have used heumpor fronds and stalks in various ways, including as clothing and writing implements, for thousands of years, and they are a core part of their culture and way of life.
History
in the pre-orilon age, before the time when all the omwelian civilizations would fall or be swept away by The Ascendant and orilon empires, there existed a plethora of kingdoms and empires now lost to the fog of history, their stories left only to myth and legend.
the youngest among these lost civilizations was ullonop (1500 UE - 98 NE), a loosely connected nation of towns and villages in modern-day salnarae and tiar. the ullonop people were master sailors and traders who traveled to western calelac and settled nalacraust; on these journeys, they were renowned for braving rough waters with skill and expertise as they sailed up and down the
heart sea. in 98 NE, the fledgling fennant empire conquered the region for primarily unknown reasons related to containing the orilons, thus ending the sailing tradition of the ullonop and stripping away much of their culture.
The Lost Empire Of Hleng'Gal (3000 UE - 90 UE), originating from a city of the same name, was the greatest kingdom of its time, controlling a vast swath of territory spanning much of Naltry and balos and ruling half a million souls. it reigned dominion for 3000 years from its capital in the suoi mountains, eventually falling to the orilons in 90 UE as they invaded from the south into Naltry to conquer the kingdom and ultimately destroy the city of hleng'gal, taking its records and history with it.
thousands of years before the fennant, ullonop, or even hlneg'gal, there existed a civilization spread across central omwela; from the suoi mountains to the ilkoyen, from the hleni highlands to the amison coast. records of it are nonexistent -it may have predated writing entirely-, but they left many stone ruins built from palestone scattered across central omwela. these ruins also give this civilization its name; tuvisl (10,000 UE - 3500 UE), meaning 'white remains' in tyetian, so named because they were all that remained from this long-gone people, as all knowledge of them vanished from even myth and legend.
*ascendant age
*rebuilding age
*modern age
omwela is a vast land of wonders wrought of ancient things and peoples so different as to seem aliens to each other. its diversity is incomparable in terms of history, climate, and culture, making other lands look as if uncivilized wilds. -king Merasheyr of The Kingdom Of The Great House Of Salnarae upon the state of the continent
Type
Continent
Included Organizations
Comments