Okay, fair warning. I have been working on this world for over three years. There are nine full notebooks of information sitting on my shelf. I'm trying to make it as fleshed-out as possible, and I'd love feedback. This is a breakdown of the three main nations. If you like it or want to know more, I'll do another post.
Hallem-
Hallem is an Earth-sized planet, consisting mostly of water with only one known continent, which is also called Hallem. This continent is roughly the size of Asia and Europe.
Hallem is inhabited by three distinct sentient species: humans, orcs, and jabe. There are also giants, a human subspecies. Humans are the dominant group, and vastly outnumber the other species.
The continent is divided into five nations: Ahnsion, Domines, Meerna, Tonjam, and Baer. None of the nations are landlocked, and all three mainland nations share borders with each other. Because there is only one continent and thus less human migration during prehistory, there are fewer distinct ethnic groups than are present in the real world. It is still quite ethnically diverse, however, and cultural diversity is also quite high, with each nation having several distinct cultural groups.
A list of nations follows:
The Empire of Ahnsion-
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Currency: Chall
Capital: Imbalo
Language: Shime
Demonym: Ahnese
Situated in the western half of the continent, the Empire of Ahnsion is an absolute monarchy under the rule of the God-Emperor, currently Erion Barelor the Eighth. In ancient times, the land it now sits on was home to scores of warring human and orc tribes. The humans were united by the first God-Emperor, Matal Barelor, and crushed the orc tribes within a decade. In modern Ahnsion, orcs are enslaved throughout the Empire.
The humans of Ahnsion are mostly of the Jinay ethnic group, and appear closest to Han Chinese people of the real world.The Ahnese structural and cultural aesthetic is classic high-fantasy— large castles, walled cities, and expansive farms. The terrain resembles the United States of old— lots of plains to the east and heavy coastal forests in the west.
The military is divided into legions, which further break into regiments, which are composed of cadres. The signature units of the Ahnese army are heavily-armored infantry, skilled horse cavalry, and what are called "frontline mages"— mages wearing armor along with their robes who fight in the middle of the battle, as opposed to standard mages who must remain out of direct combat.
The Empire holds one foreign territory, the Sowlise Islands that lie to its southeast. The Islands are home to the giants, an intellectual, conservative people.
Domines:
Government: Meritocratic Feudal Oligarchy
Currency: Eshev
Capital: Ankome
Language: Annud
Demonym: Dominen
In the mountians of the north sits Domines. The country is ruled by the High Council of Ankome, which is comprised of the heads of the fourteen highest noble families. The state religion, the Will of the Shapers, holds that the rich are given their station by the gods themselves, and all others are subservient to them. Social castes and class define the culture of Domines on a deep level, especially due to the harsh environment. While the mountains themselves are rocky and useless for farming, the valleys between them are quite fertile. The various noble families own these valleys, and those who farm them pay them taxes in harvest goods and in money.
The landscape of Domines resembles Switzerland and other mountainous European countries. The valleys are dotted by numerous snow-fueled rivers, which in combination with the fertile soil help the valleys produce a significant amount of produce. The Dominen citizens are of the Rouhm ethnic group, appearing Northern European. Their cultural and structural style are a hybridization of ancient Rome and India, as are their names, such as Pysher, Dhylan, Markuth, and Anshe.
The military is made up of companies sworn to the lord of their home province, and is somewhat smaller than the forces of the other two mainland nations. It makes up for this by utilizing highly specialized units. The Transcended are the elite fighting force of the nation, made up of men trained from the age of six in combat and discipline. They do not speak, show emotion, or have any sense of self-worth and identity. They are motivated entirely by loyalty to Domines, and serve the Council directly. They are often seen as terrifying and inhuman by other soldiers, but their effectiveness cannot be denied.
The other signature trait of the Dominen military is their use of necromancy. Soldiers can opt to have a sigil tattooed onto their flesh prior to battle, and, if killed, can be raised again as skeletal Warbound. A Warbound retains their personality, identity, and memories, and is still considered worthy of the same respect and duty as a living soldier. Warbound tend to be killed again within a single battle, as a blackened, armored skeleton makes for an easy and appealing target. If killed a second time, they cannot be raised. There are, of course, Warbound who survive their next battle— Arkusten Caish, the third-highest ranking Dominen commander, was raised seventy-five years ago. Soldiers can only become Warbound if they are unmarried and have no living immediate family, as any bond other than loyalty to the nation and his comrades interferes with the magic used in the raising ritual.
Meerna-
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Currency: Dre
Capital: Binwhulok
Languages: Meeric and Nitau'b'e
Demonym: Meeric
The largest and most powerful nation on Hallem, Meerna sits in the east. Ruled over by two kings, it has the strongest economy and military on the planet. The vast majority of the populace is of the Gaphan religion, which worships a deity known as Gapha, the Great Balance. The faith holds that all things are in a state of ever-shifting balance, and that each action sends reverberations throughout the scales, tipping them one way or the other. Intellectualism and science are highly valued, as knowledge of the world leads to better understanding of its inner workings.
Meerna is based heavily on Africa and the Middle East. Savannahs and deserts dominate large parts of the country, while the east coastal region is made of rivers and sparse forests. Two ethnic groups call Meerna home. The Meeric people, who are the majority, appear roughly Central and Western African, while the minority Qhorr are Southern and Eastern African. The Qhorr people, who are considered equal in status to the Meeric group, follow their own faith, a meditative paganism which worships five elemental gods. They also have their own language, Nitau'b'e, which incorporates clicks in the style of real-world Xhosa and San.
Meerna's military is large and well-equipped, and feared throughout the world. Made up wholly of volunteers, it is the only mainland army to recruit women freely. Archery and magecraft are valued, as are skirmishers and hardy cavalry. Qhorr fire mages, who spend years meditating on the nature of the flames, are exceedingly prized. The Meeric military is mostly defined by its all-encompassing nature and sheer size- they do almost everything rather well, and there are a lot of them.
Their economy is also a force to be reckoned with. They have vast natural resources and industries, and export a huge amount of manufactured goods. Skilled merchants, their trade is a deciding diplomatic factor in the politics of the world, and the threat of an embargo and tariff has been enough to end many brewing wars.
That's the three main nations. There are two more, and a whole bunch of history and culture, that I can still discuss. Anyone interested? Also, my short story "Quiet", posted here and on DA, takes place in this universe.
Hallem, all associated terms, and all content related to it are Copyrighted 2011-2013 and property of David Rinella.