The Five Kingdoms
The Five Kingdoms is the most common name for the world. These are
The Civilized Kingdoms, the Barbarian Kingdoms, the Goblin Kingdoms, the Kingdom of the Sea, and the Unknown Kingdoms. It is of little surprise that the nations west of the
Rift refer to themselves as the Civilized Kingdoms, divided further into smaller states of varying levels of racial homogeneity. The central
Isles of Eshar is the dominant hegemony in the Civilized Kingdoms, their primacy in the Second Age guaranteed by ancient magics and advanced technology.
The Rift is a great river that bisects the Continent of
Ranthia and is believed to have been formed by the cataclysm that brought the First Age to its end over 2000 years ago. It divides the Civilized Kingdoms of the west from the Barbarian Kingdoms of the east. At its center is a massive crater and the only known source of promethium in the Kingdoms. The
Nation of Prylea mines the hardened crystals of promethium that have formed at the edge of the crater and sell them to
The Eshari Elves. Prolonged exposure to promethium has proven harmful but the price that the Eshari are willing to pay ensures a continuous flow of the valuable material.
The Goblin Kingdoms reside south of Ranthia past the Infernal Waters from where they launch raids on the southern coasts of the Civilized and Barbarian Kingdoms. Little is known of their lands and ways, or how they successfully navigate the great seas without attracting the ire of the merfolk from the Kingdom of the Sea. While coastal travel and trade is common across Ranthia, the open waters of the sea are avoided for fear of the merfolk and the stories of the great leviathans they command.
The Second Age is a peaceful time with histories of great wars and otherworldly threats relegated to the tomes of sages. The lords of the civilized kingdoms are preoccupied instead with courtly intrigue, diplomatic squabbles, trading disputes, and the occasional military conflict between rivals.