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thewatchau · 3 years ago

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Lands Beyond Tirónar: The Unnamed Continent

Unlike previous posts in this compilation/reorganization series, only some of this next series of posts will be rewrites at first. Others will essentially be glorified masterlists, allowing me to do some organizing and put a bandaid fix on the disaster that is the current “Foreign Lands Beyond Duilintinn” masterlist. My goal is to create true compilation posts (or perhaps series of posts) for all of these countries, but for now, this will have to do.

Other Posts in this Series:

The Mortal Realm as a Whole •

The Continent of Tirónar • Duilintinn • Haneul • Halennor • Lantraeth • Borrike • Grancinco • Tandeli • The Island League • Leyfel • Fasithe •

The Continent of Effrens •

The Continent of Iontassia • The Iontassian Union • Las Buscadoras

The Continent of Senfara •

The Continent of Vaqone •

The Frozen Wastes •

The Unnamed Continent •

Souls and Magical “Energy” • Magic in Nature • Fae Folk, Fae Realm, Fae Gardens, and Imagination Dimension

In This Post:

Summary

Name Origin

History

Geography

Culture

Summary

The Unnamed Continent is located in the southern hemisphere of the Mortal Realm, to the east of Senfara and Iontassia and west of Vaqone.

Name Origin

“The Unnamed Continent” is currently a placeholder name and will likely not be the official, canonical name of this land mass. However, the final name may end up bearing some relation to this long-standing placeholder.

History

Very little has been established about the Unnamed Continent beyond its history in relation to other continents in the Mortal Realm.

At some point prior to the year 1000 on the Duil Calendar, Senfaran nations began to launch trade expeditions to other surrounding continents. When the nations of Iontassia, Senfara, and the Unnamed Continent were officially introduced through these trade ships from Senfara, the results were not always friendly. Senfara was deep in its mercantile age as its nations raced for new resources and territories, prompting several attempts to take over parts of both continents. However, the nations of Iontassia and the Unnamed Continent stood their ground, and after several years, Senfaran nations switched to inviting the nations of Iontassia and the Unnamed Continent into profitable trade relationships instead. This would pull both Iontassia and the Unnamed Continent into Senfara’s power race, prompting a similar push for power among their own nations to keep up.

While both the Waldren Trade Enterprise of Senfaran origin and then later the Iontassian Union from the eponymous continent are both well-known and prominent players in this shared history, no lore has ever spoken about what groups rose to power in the Unnamed Continent during this time, or how else this power struggle affected the continent. It’s likely that it’s ships were somewhat affected by the surge in piracy at the time, although not to the extent that Waldren and the Iontassian Union were.

It should also be noted that, unlike Senfara and Iontassia, only parts of the Unnamed Continent were involved in this power struggle at all. Only the southwestern half of the continent took part in this mercantile era. The northeastern half, divided from the southwest by a large, impassible mountain range, had an entirely different history. All that is currently established about this part of the Unnamed Continent is that it was very isolated and primarily traded with the people groups on the southwestern coast of Vaquone, if anyone.

Geography

The Unnamed Continent has a mountain range dividing it roughly into a northeastern and southwestern half. These two halves of the continent have very different histories. The southwestern half was engaged with the trade and power struggles taking place in Senfara and Iontassia prior to and during the Waldren Occupation. Meanwhile, the northeastern half was more isolated from that conflict and instead primarily traded with the nations of Vaqone, if anyone.

It’s northern half has a tropical climate due to its location on the equator. It’s southern half is likely to have a similar climate, but slightly milder due to its distance from the equator.

Culture

Little has been established regarding the culture of the Unnamed Continent. It is likely that the southern half is more influenced by the mercantilist cultures of Senfara and Iontassia, while the north is more isolated.

Magic

It has been canonically established that the Unnamed Continent has a slightly more magical environment than that of Senfara. While not nearly as magically infused as Tirónar, the peoples of the Unnamed Continent could recognize magic for what it was. Obviously, different people groups in the continent would perceive magic differently.

However, at least one prominent people group (or several people groups) in the southern half of the Unnamed Continent used or spoke of magic enough that it would be used to further nationalist sentiments in Senfaran nations who believed the magic of both Iontassia and the Unnamed Continent was mere superstition.

It’s very likely that there are at least a few Fae Gardens scattered throughout the Unnamed Continent.

One undeveloped idea that I have for the Unnamed Continent is to explore a perspective of magic that is distinct from that seen in Tirónar’s history.

The narrative of magic in Tirónar and, by extension, Senfara, primarily plays into the ideas of “skeptic versus believer,” “good versus evil,” and “nature versus corruption.” Effrens and Fasithe play more heavily into the chaotic neutral way that magic can take over every aspect of a culture.

For the Unnamed Continent, however, I want to explore a more undefined relationship with magic, in which magic is neither fought against nor particularly acknowledged. Magic isn’t seen as “magic” at all, but simply something so subtly incorporated into one's way of life that most of the time, people don’t even realize it's there. Most mages would probably have magic that is subconsciously unlocked, and explained as talents or blessings rather than a supernatural force. Some people may even believe that “magic” as they define it isn’t real, not realizing that there are elements within their own society that people in other lands would define as magic in its own right. Whether or not one believes in magic would be less of a charged issue, but more of a philosophical point of discussion.

Of course, this is all very vague and very generalized. As mentioned above, every culture within this large continent would have different perceptions of magic. However, they’d all be located in the same region with it’s low-level magic levels in its environments, so it makes sense that many of these different perceptions of magic would evolve around this more subtle version of magic they experience.

#The Unnamed Continent #Lands Beyond Tirónar #History of Duilintinn #Magic of The Watch

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thewatchau · 3 years ago

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Lands Beyond Duilintinn: The Continent of Iontassia

Other Posts in this Series:

The Mortal Realm as a Whole •

The Continent of Tirónar • Duilintinn • Haneul • Halennor • Lantraeth • Borrike • Grancinco • Tandeli • The Island League • Leyfel • Fasithe •

The Continent of Effrens •

The Continent of Iontassia • The Iontassian Union • Las Buscadoras

The Continent of Senfara •

The Continent of Vaqone •

The Frozen Wastes •

The Unnamed Continent •

Souls and Magical “Energy” • Magic in Nature • Fae Folk, Fae Realm, Fae Gardens, and Imagination Dimension

In This Post:

Summary

History

Geography

Culture

Summary

Iontassia is a continent along the equator of the Mortal Realm, and also includes a large segment of the islands to its northeast. The vast majority of the continent is under the authority of the Iontassian Union.

History

I have done very little so far to flesh out Iontassia’s history before the mercantilist period that dominates the part of its history relevant to this AU.

At some point in Tirónar’s Ancient History, several ships from the southernmost nations of the continent (modern-day Grancinco and Tandeli) attempted to sail beyond the Southern Sea and washed up on the northeastern islands of Iontassia. The people group that resulted spoke a language extremely similar to that of Grancinco and passed down generations of stories about the magic found in Tirónar.

It seems unlikely that the northernmost regions of Iontassia were not at least semi aware of the people groups across the northern channel in Senfara, but the two continents didn’t seem to acknowledge each other officially until Senfaran nations began to launch trade expeditions to other continents. When the nations of Iontassia, Senfara, and the Unnamed Continent were “officially” introduced through these trade ships from Senfara, the results were not always friendly. Senfara was deep in its mercantile age as its nations raced for new resources and territories, prompting several attempts to take over parts of both continents. However, the nations of Iontassia and the Unnamed Continent stood their ground, and after several years, Senfaran nations switched to inviting the nations of Iontassia and the Unnamed Continent into profitable trade relationships instead. This would pull both Iontassia and the Unnamed Continent into Senfara’s power race, prompting a similar push for power among their own nations to keep up.

In Iontassia, this would lead to the rise of the Iontassian Union, a nation-state that slowly took over most of the eponymous continent and many of its surrounding islands, including those populated by the descendants of stranded travelers from southern Tirónar. All territories controlled by the Iontassian Union were heavily encouraged to focus on trade and seafaring, especially once Waldren’s “discovery” of Tirónar gave several Senfaran nations a near-overnight surge in power. Even piracy was subtly encouraged by the Iontassian Union, so long as it targeted Waldren ships.

However, Waldren’s political manipulation for its own benefit would eventually draw Senfaran nations into a far more internal struggle against each other, leaving Iontassia and the Unnamed Continent at a long-term advantage. By the time Waldren abandoned Tirónar in 1500, the Iontassian Union had been the leading power among the three central continents for at least a century and controlled nearly all of Iontassia and its northeastern islands.

However, this period at the end of the Waldren Occupation seemed to be the peak of the Iontassian Union’s complete power over Iontassia. Cracks began to show soon after Waldren’s fall from grace when the pirates- previously endorsed by the Union’s government- started identifying Iontassian ships as the new most profitable target on the seas. This piracy issue continues to this day.

In addition, many of the people groups who had been taken over by the Iontassian Union took inspiration from the eviction of Waldren from Tirónar and began pushing against the empire’s control. Since Iontassia is a huge continent, the Union was already stretched thin, and had little choice but to allow these groups to assert their own authority. Many did this in the form of establishing local governments while still reporting to the Iontassian Union in name. Others established independence entirely.

One of the most well-known examples is the islands of Las Buscadoras, the islands where people from southern Tirónar had been stranded so many centuries before. It declared its independence in 1611. Oddly enough, this kingdom took more inspiration from Leyfel than the countries of Tirónar where its people originated, likely due to Leyfel’s affinity for both seafaring and mysteries. This is one of the more high-profile departures from the Iontassian Union, and will likely inspire other groups to break away from the empire over the next several years, or possible decades.

Geography

Iontassia is located in the southern hemisphere of the Mortal Realm. It lies to the south of the continent of Senfara.

The western coast of Iontassia and its many islands are bordered by the Southern Sea, which is characterized by summer tropical storms that travel north along Iontassia’s coastline between April and October. These storms usually hit the islands the hardest before passing further north to cause the rainy season in southern Tirónar and then fizzle out somewhere along Tirónar’s western coast.

Culture

Language

The Common Tongue is spoken as a trade language in Iontassia, but it is not the primary language of the continent.

The official languages of most Iontassian people groups have never been officially described in canon. Only the island of Las Buscadoras has a canonically established language - that being a variant of the Spanish-adjacent language spoken in Grancinco and Tandeli.

Magic

Iontassia has a much higher amount of magic in its ecosystem compared to Senfara, although it's nothing compared to the amount of magic found in Tirónar. Magic is a generally accepted fact of life, and Fae Gardens can appear anywhere on the continent.

#The Continent of Iontassia #Lands Beyond Tirónar #The Lands of The Watch #iontassian union #las buscadoras #Land of Grancinco #The Land of Tandeli #History of Duilintinn

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thewatchau · 3 years ago

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Lands Beyond Duilintinn: The Continent of Effrens

Other Posts in this Series:

The Mortal Realm as a Whole •

The Continent of Tirónar • Duilintinn • Haneul • Halennor • Lantraeth • Borrike • Grancinco • Tandeli • The Island League • Leyfel • Fasithe •

The Continent of Effrens •

The Continent of Iontassia • The Iontassian Union • Las Buscadoras

The Continent of Senfara •

The Continent of Vaqone •

The Frozen Wastes •

The Unnamed Continent •

Souls and Magical “Energy” • Magic in Nature • Fae Folk, Fae Realm, Fae Gardens, and Imagination Dimension

In This Post:

Summary

Name Origin

History

Politics

Geography

Flora and Fauna

Economy

Culture

Trivia

Note: Effrens is the creative brainchild of @shamrockace, who has been working on this continent on-and-off for at least a year now. None of this lore has been posted “officially” before now, though those of you on discord are probably familiar with many of these details. My role was primarily as a reference to provide context for how Effrens would fit into the greater framework of the AU as a whole; all creative credit (including this INCREDIBLE map) goes to Shams!

Summary

Effrens is an archipelago in the southern hemisphere of the Mortal Realm. It is categorized as one of the seven continents of the Mortal Realm.

Name Origin

“Effrens” comes from the Latin Efferus, meaning “wild, savage, crazed.” The name was given to the continent by foreigners. It’s also referred to as the Death Archipelago, due to both how dangerous the waters around the archipelago are and the themes of death that are central to the region’s cultures.

The native peoples of this region refer to the archipelago as Na hoileáin Draca, which means “The Dragon Islands.” The main island is called Báskellig, from Bás meaning Death and Skellig (like Skellig Michael), whilst also being a play on the word Basilisk.

History

Ancient History

According to Effrenian folklore, the archipelago was formed during a fight between a huge sea dragon called the Mester Stoor Wyrm and beings known as Fae Touched Warriors, who were granted powers from the Fae Folk to slay similar giant beasts (known collectively as Great Evil entities). In this battle, known as the Great Seal Calamity, the Fae Touched Warriors were unable to kill the Mester Stoor Wyrm forever, but instead, succeeded in trapping it under the sea by driving a giant pillar of bone and metal through the wyrm’s skull, imprisoning it permanently beneath the sea. Most historians believe that this conflict took place cerca the year 300 on the Duil-Feadhainn Calendar, placing it in the same time period of the Ancient Era of Tirónar.

It is believed that the top of the pillar used to trap the wyrm remained above sea level, forming the main island of the archipelago. The pillar is still blessed by the magic of the Fae who supported the Fae Touched Warriors, which is why the region is covered in magical ecosystems, Fae Gardens, and magical flora and fauna with powers over rot and plague. The smaller islands of the archipelago are said to be the broken scales, claws, horns, and bone plating of the Mester Stoor Wyrm that floated to the surface after its defeat and were transformed into islands by the Fae Folk.

For approximately 200 years, the civilizations of Effrens lived in relative peace and prosperity on the newly transformed landmasses of the archipelago. However, in the early-500s of the Duil-Feadhainn calendar, a new threat emerged in the form of dragons, who had desperately crossed the sea in the wake of the Dragon War that had begun to consume the continent of Tirónar. While non-sentient draconic animals were native to the archipelago, the soul-bearing dragons of Tirónar were entirely different. Panic from both the dragons and people groups of Effrens caused significant losses on both sides. Eventually, the conflict waned, and with time, the surviving Effrenians and dragons learned to coexist and, in the case of the latter, slowly evolved to adapt to the environment of the archipelago.

This history plays a significant role in the current culture and worldview of most Effrenians. Living on top of a giant, catatonic sea dragon means the constant threat of its eventual revival. Many believe that if they do not appease the local Fae, the Wyrm will escape it’s undersea prison and rise once again to bring plague to the world. The impact of the Dragon War in Tirónar would further reinforce this mentality.

Not-Ancient-but-still-older History

Most of Effren’s history before the year 1100 (Duil Calendar) has been lost to time, and what records remain are spotty and conflicting at best.

As such, it’s extremely unclear who first “discovered” Effrens and gave it a name meaning “savage.” Like the continent of Tirónar, the waters surrounding the archipelago were dangerous enough to prevent any foreign entities from encountering the landmass for centuries.

Most scholars believe that the first contact with outside people groups took place in the early days of the tri-continental mercantilist era, when the nations of Senfara began a race to expand their territory for economic power. While most of Senfara’s records of this time focus on the conflicts between the people groups of Iontassia and the Unnamed Continent, a few also mention a dangerous cluster of islands to the far southwest.

Most of these are the accounts given by sailors who, due to storms or other factors, got lost in the waters of the Southern Hemisphere and found themselves shipwrecked and stranded in the dangerous waters of the archipelago. Upon seeing the strange and dangerous-looking magical creatures on the islands (including dragons, changelings with intense fae-like features, and the Fae Folk themselves), the ethnocentric and magically-ignorant foreigners immediately drew the conclusion that these islands were “wild, savage, crazed,” etc. Those who managed to return to Senfara (either with the help of local Effrenians or by making a deal with a member of the Fae) would go on to write these reports.

Most tales of Effrens were deemed nonsense until cerca 1000 (Duil-Feadhainn calendar), when Waldren’s success in Tirónar prompted some of its competitors to look at this “savage” region to the southwest in a new light. However, the waters around Effrens are even more dangerous than those surrounding Tirónar, and the few ships that returned to the continent would reinforce the idea of this “savage” land. Presumably, this is the origin of the name “Effrens” given to the islands by foreigners, although the exact originator of the term is unknown.

Modern Era

Effrens used to be way more populated and cover far more area. However, less than five hundred years ago, multiple devastating disasters hit the archipelago in relatively quick succession. As a result, all civilizations outside a few small areas were all but wiped out, though plenty of ruins remain.

In modern day, Effrens is still working to recover from this devastation. As a result, there has been little work done to reclaim the history and culture of these previous civilizations. However, some of the ruins play a role in Effrenian culture, such as the remains of burial cairns and pyres built with pale white stone, which, in Effrenian folklore, are believed to be made from bones due to their coloration.

Politics

Effrens is ruled by a powerful Fae being called Jim Pickens, who typically takes on the form of an elderly human man and is referred to in Effrens as the Fae God of Destruction and Death. This fae being is worshiped as a deity by most of the population of Effrens.

However, Jim Pickens rarely interacts directly with the mortals of Effrens except when he pleases to. Instead, the High Augur of Jim Pickens, a mortal man named Kevin, is the primary conduit between the Effrenians and their god-king. Mortals who seek advice or wish to voice concerns will speak to the High Augur, rather than risk the unpredictable wrath of Jim Pickens.

Unlike the Fae Cults of Fasithe in Tirónar, which are typically based around the acquisition of knowledge, power, freedom, etc. with a calmer, more serious tone (until you get to the Imagination Dimension), the Fae cults of Effrens are far more chaotic, focusing almost entirely on the concepts of death, decay, and destruction.

Sacrifices (both human and other) are extremely common in multiple aspects of Effranian culture, including the legal system, entertainment, religion, and beliefs on magic and the Fae. Predominantly, they are used as a means to appease the Fae folk, particularly Jim Pickens.

Geography

Effrens has a strange mixture of ecosystems due to its unique geography and the influence of magic on its environment.

The main island can be divided into three sections: the desert, which takes up the entire southern half of the island; the mountains, which arc southeast from the island’s northwestern corner, then veer north again to cover the entire northern “spike” of the island; and a combination of tropical jungle and temperate grassland tucked within the valley created in the far north of the island.

Despite their proximity to the tropical and temperate ecosystems of lowland Effrens, the mountainous regions of the main island are extremely cold due to their altitude. Adding to this ecological chaos, at least one of these mountains is an active volcano, yet is still covered in ice and snow for the majority of the year.

Climate zones of Effrens.

Effrens is, to this day, significantly unexplored and unmapped. The majority of the archipelago is covered in dangerous Fae Gardens, equal in danger to the Western Forest of Tirónar. Moreover, the desert ecosystem is practically a deathtrap. Most inhabited areas are located in the temperate grasslands in the northern valley between the mountains.

The waters surrounding Effrens are fairly tropical and extremely dangerous. Traveling between the islands is risky; traveling beyond the archipelago even more so. As a result, Effrens is extremely isolated from the rest of the Mortal Realm to this day, both due to the hazardous conditions and the sheer distance from other continents.

Flora and Fauna

For reasons not fully understood, an abnormal amount of the flora and fauna in Effrens have some relationship with poison, venom, rot, plague, and decay, which can manifest in both magical and mundane traits and abilities.

In the warmer areas of Effrens, birds called Superb Fairywrens (based on the real-world species of the same name) are an extremely common sight. They are primarily known for their courtship displays, in which the male fairywren picks yellow flower petals and gives them to their chosen female. This behavior has heavily influenced the romance culture of Effrens (see Culture).

Another animal that’s well-known in Effrens are Caer-bannogs, vicious rabbits that attack on sight and can leap as high as eight feet into the air to kill their foes. It’s unclear whether these are Fae Folk taking on the guise of a harmless creature in order to toy with the hapless mortals who pass, or if this is a naturally occurring magical or mundane creature in the wild. For obvious reasons, no one has gotten close enough to study it in detail.

Finally, in a stunning example of convergent evolution, there are two types of draconic beings in Effrens: the sentient descendants of Tirónar’s dragons, and non-sentient magical animals with draconic features.

The sentient dragons that exist in Effrens have evolved over time to look extremely different from their ancient ancestors from Tirónar. These dragons are said to breathe poisonous mist of venomous liquid, rather than fire. While these dragons began with wings similar to those of Tirónar's dragons, with wings made for height and maneuverability, as time went on and more dragons were born and getting territorial, it's likely that dragons with coastal territories would probably survive better if they could take long trips off over the ocean and then dive to catch fish for food instead of trying to grab goats and stuff from the mountains. Eventually, these would have evolved to the point where they could probably cross the ocean and a group would have likely left in hopes of finding new territory. In their modern, evolved state, these dragons have the wingspan to body length ratio of 2:1.

Non-sentient dragons in Effrens are smaller, but similarly built to their sentient brethren. They often bond with sentient beings as a familiar. In comparison to the sentient dragons, the smaller non-sentient dragons also seem to have a wider variety of forms. Some don't grow larger than 10cm, whilst some easily grow to the size of a horse, with the largest being the size of a moose, and the most common size being roughly between the size of a cat and large dog. They also have a wider variance in features; they may or may not have horns, wings, or legs, or may have multiple sets instead of the typical one or two. Some are amphibious or fully aquatic (particularly those that were initially descended from the sea dragons like the Mester Stoor Wyrm), while others are completely terrestrial. There's even been a few cases of "desert dragons” or "sand wyrms" that swim through the sand as if it’s the sea. Some even have stingers at the end of their tails, not unlike scorpions, though this is usually only found in the smaller variants that live nearer the desert.

Economy

Effrens exports gunpowder made from the sulfur harvested from the region’s active volcano. Since gunpowder is too expensive to import in large quantities, fireworks are the primary reason most foreign entities import gunpowder. Rumors say that the people in Effrens discovered gunpowder’s firework properties when someone accidentally laced their funeral pyre with gunpowder.

However, there are cases when gunpowder is imported for other reasons. At some point in the Occupation Era, Effrens exported gunpowder to the forces of Waldren in southern Tirónar, which was used primarily for demolition and construction before being used by revolutionaries in Tandeli to earn their independence. In the Modern Era, Effrens continues to have a trade relationship with Tandeli, exporting gunpowder for the purpose of defense, construction, and, of course, fireworks.

Culture

Death Themes

As mentioned above, the interconnected themes of death, Fae worship, sacrifices, and fire are extremely prevalent in the culture of Effrens. Many death-related establishments double as methods to worship the Fae Folk through sacrifices. For example, Effrens employs the death penalty, both as a punishment for crimes and as a human sacrifie to appease the Fae Folk. Similarly, death arenas are a common form of entertainment, in which the losers are considered to be sacrifices to the Fae, and the winners are blessed by the Fae. Even traditional funeral rites for natural deaths are considered a final sacrifice to the Fae folk, typically featuring funeral pyres. There are also sacrifices that serve no other purpose than to appease the Fae Folk. For example, heretics (people who don’t worship Jim) are sacrificed to appease the fae leader of Effrens. In coastal towns, people who fail swimming lessons are often left to drown as a sacrifice to the “sea goddess.” Non-human sacrifices of goods such as food, livestock, statues, jewelry, weapons, and other offerings typically offered to the Fae are also used to appease the Fae Folk. Perhaps due to the dissonance a law against murder would cause in a culture that is so wrapped up in human sacrifices, murder isn’t actually illegal in Effrens. So fun fact, if you want to murder someone without consequences, go to Effrens. On a less death-related note, body modifications that imitate the inhuman traits of the Fae Folk are extremely popular in Effrens. Cryptic tattoos, talon nails, sharpened teeth, surgically pointed ears, dramatic piercings, etc are all common ways to try to gain the blessing of the Fae. Finally, in a region that is so heavily populated with wildlife pertaining to venom, poison, rot, and decay, fire is both a practical and symbolic purifier and sanitiser. As a result, many traditions in Effrens pertain to fire, including the use of funeral pyres, love for fireworks, and fire-related sacrifices and rituals.

Romance Culture

Many of the romantic traditions practiced in Effrens are heavily influenced and inspired by the courtship behaviors of the region’s tropical birds. In particular, Superb Fairywrens are well-known and associated with romance for their courtship displays, in which the male fairywren picks yellow flower petals and gives them to their chosen female. As such, Effrenian romance culture is very flamboyant, featuring colorful clothes, natural gifts (flowers, crystals, etc), and dancing. Gifts of weapons (usually fancy daggers) and sparring matches are also considered romantic in the right contexts, as is cooking together and sharing special foods.

Unsurprisingly, there are also a few traditions related to fire rituals and sacrifices to the Fae that correspond to different stages of a relationship, usually to petition the Fae Folk for good relationship health, luck, and all that usual stuff.

Magic

Effrens is the second most magically infused continent in the Mortal Realm. It is second only to Tirónar in the sheer amount of Fae Gardens, magic in its ecosystems, and Fae activity in general. One could even make the argument that it should be considered the MORE magically potent than Tirónar, simply because of the all-encompassing cultural impact this magical environment and proximity to Fae Folk has had on the continent’s people groups. For obvious reasons, these “rankings” of magical ecosystems are extremely vague and difficult to categorize.

Unlocking magic is seen as a Fae blessing and an honor in Effrens culture.

Fae are super important to Effrens culture. Unlike the Fae Folk in Tirónar, the fae folk in effrens fit very nicely into the tropes of Seelie/Unseelie courts

Changelings

Due to the sheer amount of magic and massive Fae Gardens in Effrens, changelings are commonly born, but rarely survive the dangers of Effren’s most magical regions. Those that do survive often build a life in the strange, unpredictable ecosystem they first appeared in, granting them extreme strength and adaptability, but little inclination to settle with the established people groups scattered throughout the islands. Nearly all changelings that have survived have unlocked their magic and use it with incredible skill and power.

In addition, due to the lack of corpses in Fae gardens, changelings in Effrens often have multiple inhuman traits. Due to all of these factors, local people groups tend to view changelings as more Fae than human. Many cultures worship changelings as demigods, believing that the more inhuman they look, the more power they possess.

Trivia

Effrens is based on the youtuber Call Me Kevin.

Effrens has been called “the Australia of the Mortal Realm” due to its crazy wildlife and history.

The history of Effren’s creation is actually based on a couple of Orkney/British Archipelago myths. Mainly the Mester Stood Worm and the Nuckelavee myths merged together for this one.

The changelings of Effrens are somewhat based off of the Tuatha Dé Danann, which are a supernatural race in Irish mythos which represent most main deities (hence the demigod stuff).

#The Continent of Effrens #Effrens #The Lands of The Watch #Lands Beyond Tirónar #submission #sorta #close enough #dragons #fae folk #fae gardens #changelings #dragon war #History of Duilintinn

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thewatchau · 3 years ago

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Duilintinn’s Languages: Common Tongue

Most of the lore in the upcoming series will be edited compilations of dozens of posts from the last two years. While there are some minor new details sprinkled throughout, I’ve attempted to post significant new information in a “Watch AU Fun Fact” post so you don’t have to read all of these HUGE posts to find them.

Other Posts in this Series:

Introduction • Common Tongue • Feadhainn Language • Duil Sign Language

In this Post

Summary

History

Global Usage

Summary

The Common Tongue is the de-facto language of international trade, foreign affairs, and global communication throughout the continent of Tirónar.

History

Originating on the continent of Senfara, the Common Tongue was brought to Tirónar during the height of the Waldren Trade Enterprise, who popularized its usage on the continent through centuries of imperialist rule.

In the modern day, the “Common Tongue” of Senfara and the “Common Tongue'' of Tirónar are two separate languages. The latter didn’t remain unchanged from Senfara’s language during the Waldren Occupation, but evolved to absorb elements of Tirónar’s indigenous languages as well. Both are somewhat understandable to native speakers of the other, but only barely. The connection is less similar to British versus American English, and more to Irish English and American English.

Global Usage

It is unclear whether the Common Tongue is also the norm throughout the rest of the Mortal Realm, but this seems unlikely. While most of the traders and foreign leaders that we've seen visit Duilintinn can speak the Common Tongue, this may simply be a matter of convenience. It's easier for a well-traveled merchant or a wealthy noble to learn a new language than it is to teach an entire continent how to speak their native tongue in time for their visit. Obviously, translators are also an option, but I find it easier to believe that regular visitors would learn the Common Tongue than to believe that the entire Mortal Realm has a single, agreed-upon "universal" language in a pre-internet society.

#Lands Beyond Tirónar #Tirónar #Duilintinn's Culture

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thewatchau · 3 years ago

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Watch AU Fun Fact #163

Despite the name, the Frozen Wastes are not entirely barren.

The continent is divided into two concentric circles with different ecosystems; the interior polar desert and the coastal tundra.

The central region (furthest south, directly atop the southern pole of the Mortal Realm) is a polar desert, consisting almost entirely of ice sheets, ice caps, and ice fields. The few areas that aren’t covered in a layer of permanent ice are still largely barren, due to the lack of flowing water needed to sustain the vast majority of flora and fauna.

The coastal regions of the Frozen Wastes are slightly more hospitable in comparison, featuring a tundra ecosystem that is based upon real-world Antarctic tundra. Instead of ice fields, this region has rocky soil that is able to support plant life, which mostly consists of lichens, mosses, and algae. This allows for some hardy fauna to survive in the region as well, particularly migrating birds and aquatic species. The temperature typically rises just above freezing during the summer months, which typically lasts from November to February, but still drops significantly during the winter.

Bonus- I knew this would happen:

#watch au fun facts #The Frozen Wastes #Lands Beyond Tirónar

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thewatchau · 3 years ago

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Lands Beyond Duilintinn: The Frozen Wastes

Other Posts in this Series:

The Mortal Realm as a Whole •

The Continent of Tirónar • Duilintinn • Haneul • Halennor • Lantraeth • Borrike • Grancinco • Tandeli • The Island League • Leyfel • Fasithe •

The Continent of Effrens •

The Continent of Iontassia • The Iontassian Union • Las Buscadoras

The Continent of Senfara •

The Continent of Vaqone •

The Frozen Wastes •

The Unnamed Continent •

Souls and Magical “Energy” • Magic in Nature • Fae Folk, Fae Realm, Fae Gardens, and Imagination Dimension

In This Post:

Summary

History

Geography

Culture

Summary

The Frozen Wastes is a continent on the southernmost pole of the Mortal Realm.

History

The Frozen Wastes were probably first discovered by ships from the continent of Iontassia soon after the year 1000, when Waldren first stumbled upon the continent of Tirónar and immediately began profiting off of it. Nations of Iontassia, particularly the Iontassian Union, were seeking similar power during this time, and would likely have been inspired to send ships to “discover” new lands as well after Waldren’s success. This led to the discovery and attempted annexation of the Frozen Wastes. However, with little knowledge of how to survive in such a desolate tundra, everyone sent to colonize the Frozen Wastes from Iontassia died before any meaningful foothold was established. Soon afterwards, the Iontassian Union gave up on turning the Frozen Wastes into a source of power and, to save face, began pretending that they had never tried to do so in the first place.

To date, no one has attempted to reach the Frozen Wastes since the Iontassian Union’s failed takeover. In the nearly six centuries since that time, the waters around the Frozen Wastes have grown more dangerous to traverse, mostly due to increased amounts of ice and storms due to natural climate change.

Geography

Despite the name, the Frozen Wastes are not entirely barren. The continent is divided into two concentric circles with different ecosystems; the interior polar desert and the coastal tundra.

Culture

We have no idea how much magic is in this ecosystem, nor whether there are any sentient beings or Fae Folk living somewhere on this icy continent.

#The Frozen Wastes #The Continent of Iontassia #iontassian union #History of Duilintinn #Lands Beyond Tirónar #The Lands of The Watch

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thewatchau · 3 years ago

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Iontas or Iontassia?

A small mistake on my end ended up creating a pretty cool little detail in the name origins of Iontassia (the Continent) and the Iontassian Union!

(click image for better quality)

#The Continent of Iontassia #iontassian union #discord ask #discord asks #asks #ask #techncially not an ask but whatever #Lands Beyond Tirónar

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thewatchau · 3 years ago

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Watch AU Fun Fact #162

One undeveloped idea that I have for the Unnamed Continent is to explore a perspective of magic that is distinct from what we’ve seen in Tirónar’s history.

The narrative of magic in Tirónar and, by extension, Senfara, primarily plays into the ideas of “skeptic versus believer,” “good versus evil,” and “nature versus corruption.” Effrens and Fasithe also play heavily into the chaotic neutral way that magic can take over every aspect of a culture.

#The Unnamed Continent #Lands Beyond Tirónar #watch au fun facts #Magic of The Watch

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thewatchau · 3 years ago

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Lands Beyond Duilintinn: Las Buscadoras

Other Posts in this Series:

The Mortal Realm as a Whole •

The Continent of Tirónar • Duilintinn • Haneul • Halennor • Lantraeth • Borrike • Grancinco • Tandeli • The Island League • Leyfel • Fasithe •

The Continent of Effrens •

The Continent of Iontassia • The Iontassian Union • Las Buscadoras

The Continent of Senfara •

The Continent of Vaqone •

The Frozen Wastes •

The Unnamed Continent •

Souls and Magical “Energy” • Magic in Nature • Fae Folk, Fae Realm, Fae Gardens, and Imagination Dimension

In This Post:

Summary

History

Geography

Economy

Culture

Trivia

Summary

Las Buscadoras is a group of independent barrier islands in northeastern Iontassia.

History

Pre-Iontassian Union

Rise of the Iontassian Union

During Waldren's rise to power, the Iontassian Union was also colonizing the northeastern islands of Iontassia, including the islands that would eventually become Las Buscadoras. This mercantilism and imperialism was the result of a race among global powers on Senfara, Iontassia, and the Unnamed Continent for land, wealth, or just power in general. Trade companies like Waldren and state powers like the Iontassian Union were competing against each other to amass as much land and influence as possible, resulting in the latter’s conquest of the islands.

During this period, the islands that would eventually make up Las Buscadoras were annexed by the Iontassian Union. Initially, this alliance was a mutual agreement for protection and trade partnerships. However, as the Iontassian Union grew in power, it eventually became clear that it ruled the islands in all but name, and even that degree of separation would only remain for another decade or so. While no exact canonical timeline has been established for the Iontassina Union’s rise to power, the isles of Las Buscadoras would have been first officially considered part of the Iontassian Union sometime between the year 1000 and 1200.

All territories controlled by the Iontassian Union were heavily encouraged to focus on trade and seafaring, especially with Waldren’s “discovery” of Tirónar cerca 1000 granting several Senfaran nations a near-overnight surge in power. Even piracy was subtly encouraged by the Iontassian Union, so long as it targeted Waldren ships. Centuries later, when Waldren’s political manipulation for its own benefit began to pit Senfaran nations against each other, the nations of Iontassia and the Unnamed Continent were left at a long-term advantage. By the time Waldren abandoned Tirónar in 1500, the Iontassian Union had been the leading power among the three central continents for at least a century and controlled nearly all of Iontassia and its northeastern islands. Throughout this entire period, the islands that would eventually become Las Buscadoras were participants in the trade enterprises of the Iontassian Union, particularly in shipbuilding.

Decline of the Iontassian Union

Tirónar’s eviction of the Waldren Trade Enterprise in 1500 would also begin to inspire several people groups in Iontassia to desire independence from the Iontassian Union. In addition, the same pirates that were originally hired by the Iontassian Union began identifying the Union’s trade ships as the most profitable vessels on the seas and targeted them accordingly. Combined with the size of the Iontassian Union’s domain, the Iontassian Union was unable to exert its authority everywhere at the same time, leaving these new ideas of secession more or less unchallenged.

By the mid-1500s, ships from the nations of Tirónar began to make their way to the shores of Iontassia, especially those from Leyfel, the last island to be vacated by Waldren in 1500. This connection with Leyfel likely had a role in the development of Las Buscadoras’s seafaring and mystery-confronting culture, or at least the form it takes in the modern day.

In addition, during this period, the sea-based economy of Las Buscadoras and the export-heavy economy of Grancinco would lead these two groups to interact. While obviously Las Buscadoras had its own culture and language after centuries away from Grancinco and its own unique history in Iontassia, the reunion between these people groups prompted a surge of interest about the islands’ history apart from the Iontassian Union.

Independence

All of these factors would eventually prompt Las Buscadoras to establish its own local government in 1611, distinct from that of the Iontassian Union, though with some Iontassian influence. While Las Buscadoras was still technically part of the Iontassian Union at this time, most people consider this to be the date of Las Buscadoras’s founding.

Soon afterwards, the islands began pushing for true independence from the Iontassian Union. As one excerpt from a 1613 proclamation states:

“In a surprising turn of events, a string of barrier islands off the coast of Iontas has ceded from the greater Iontassian Union to form the Las Buscadoras Federation. Rebellion had been brewing since the islands’ founding, with demonstrations like the famous “Goatman’s Bridge Incident” causing the movement to gain traction. Rather than deal with an all-out war, the Iontassian government allowed the leaders of Las Buscadoras- Lord Ryan Bergara and Lord Shane Madej- some sovereignty in exchange for peace.”

With peace achieved, the Iontassians left Las Buscadoras to their own devices, ushering in a peaceful time.

Lords Shane Madej and Ryan Bergara of the island Las Buscadoras officially announced their secession from the greater Iontassian Union in December 1614, announcing a new government that will be headed entirely by the Lords, along with their associate and fellow former Iontassian Lord Steven Lim. This new government was very similar to the one previously established in 1611, barring the addition of a third lord and the complete removal of all authority from the Iontassian Union.

The secession was officially finalized in January of 1615. While the official split was somewhat messy, the aftermath has been relatively smooth. Las Buscadoras continues to trade heavily with the Iontassian Union in order to maintain a good relationship with the much larger country, but now has a wide network of other trade partners around the Mortal Realm with whom they thrive.

Listed below are some reports regarding the modern history of Las Buscadoras:

Independence Announcement

Geography

Las Buscadoras is found on three barrier islands off the western coast of Iontassia; from north to south, they’re called Isla Punta, Isla Pantano, and Isla Mirada. Isla Mirada is the largest of the three islands and features Las Buscadoras’s capital city, three naval bases, and three lighthouses. Isla Patano features one naval base and one lighthouse, while Isla Punta only features one lighthouse.

These islands are surrounded by the Southern Sea, which is characterized by summer tropical storms that travel north along Iontassia’s coastline between April and October. These storms usually hit the islands the hardest before passing further north to cause the rainy season in southern Tirónar and then fizzle out somewhere along Tirónar’s western coast.

Economy

Las Buscadoras specializes in trade. As such, they have a major pirate problem. Their economy is also based on fishing and boat building, with many lighthouses dotted along the islands to grant safe passage to those ships.

Culture

Perhaps because of the pirates, or perhaps because of the difficulty of navigation around the barrier islands, Las Buscadoras has entered local legend as cursed land. More ships disappear here than in any other part of the ocean. Local culture thrives on ghost stories, and many young sailors dream of traveling the world in search of adventures like those they grew up with.

The more recent connection with Leyfel likely had a role in the development of Las Buscadoras’s seafaring and mystery-confronting culture, or at least the form it takes in the modern day. The crucial difference is that Leyfel likes to uncover these mysteries, while Las Buscadoras prefers to leave some things unclear. In addition, some of these narratives are likely a defensive tactic that allows Las Buscadoras to pursue their own seafaring endeavors without outside interference. While Leyfel was abandoned by their “mother country” and doesn’t have to worry about their return, Las Buscadoras still lives under the shadow of the Iontassian Union. The curse narrative is likely, at least in part, a tactic to discourage an Iontassian attempt to reclaim the islands.

Magic

In addition, it’s likely that Las Buscadoras features several aquatic fae gardens. Las Buscadoras has a mixed opinion on magical matters, far more accepting in comparison to the nations of Senfara, but less universally accepting of magic’s more supernatural elements compared to Duilintinn. Therefore, I doubt that all of these strange occurrences are due to magic; otherwise, the other non-magical perspectives found on the isles would be less convincing or realistic. That being said, it would make sense if there were at least a few marine Fae Gardens contributing to these strange circumstances around the islands.

Language

The sea-based economy of Las Buscadoras resulted in some cultural diffusion between the seafarers of these barrier islands and the export-heavy economy of Grancinco. As a result, the Spanish-based language of Grancinco is also spoken in Las Buscadoras. In fact, this language difference between the islands and the mainland became almost a symbolic distinction between Las Buscadoras and the Iontassian Union; hence why they chose to name their newly independent region in this language.

Trivia

Las Buscadoras was created by @marginmaster87, based on Buzzfeed Unsolved and, later, Watcher Entertainment. The Iontassian Union is a reference to a larger power, based on the entire Buzzfeed conglomerate.

#las buscadoras #Lands Beyond Tirónar #The Continent of Iontassia #iontassian union #The Lands of The Watch #fae gardens #History of Duilintinn

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thewatchau · 4 years ago

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Watch AU Fun Fact #155

The Dragon War might have played a role in why Waldren didn’t discover Tirónar until so late in its history.

While attempts were made by the peoples of Senfara to expand further west across the sea, these all ended in failure. Dangerous waters and rocky islands extended for several hundred leagues beyond the coast of Tirónar, preventing foreign ships from even seeing the continent. Moreover, when attempts were made during the Dragon War, many ships were scared away by the sight of huge, winged beings flying over the islands, either locked in combat or desperately looking for new territory. Thanks to these dangers, Tirónar went undiscovered by any of these continents for over a millennia.

#Dragon War #Dragons #Waldren #Lands Beyond Tirónar #watch au fun facts

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thewatchau · 4 years ago

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Watch AU Fun Fact #154

Iontassia is largely ruled by a single power (The Iontassian Union) largely because of the power struggle that preceded the Waldren Occupation.

While Tirónar was in the midst of its Ancient Era, the continents to the east were competing to maintain a balance of power between them. This tug of war is what would prompt the efforts of the Waldren Trade Enterprise from Senfara.

Similarly, in Iontassia, this period would prompt one stronger power in the continent to begin absorbing its neighbors through conquest, alliances, and annexations. This would eventually become the Iontassian Union, which is still the largest power in Iontassia to this day.

#watch au fun facts #iontassian union #lands beyond Tirónar #history of the watch #waldren

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thewatchau · 4 years ago

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Watch AU Fun Fact #153

The Unnamed Continent has a mountain range dividing it roughly into a northeastern and southwestern half.

These two halves of the continent have very different histories.

The southwestern half was engaged with the trade and power struggles taking place in Senfara and Iontassia prior to and during the Waldren Occupation.

Meanwhile, the northeastern half was more isolated from that conflict and instead primarily traded with the nations of Vaqone, if anyone.

#watch au fun facts #Lands Beyond Tirónar #The Mortal Realm #History of Duilintinn

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thewatchau · 4 years ago

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Invasive Species between Waldren and Tirónar

This concept is hilarious to me, mostly because I like giving Waldren their karmic comeuppance from the universe for their imperialist awfulness.

(click images for better quality)

#Waldren #Tirónar #Lands Beyond Tirónar #The Continent of Senfara #Unicorns #History of Duilintinn #ask #asks #discord asks #Flora and Fauna of The Watch

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thewatchau · 3 years ago

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Watch AU Fun Fact #166

Effrens is the second most magically infused continent in the Mortal Realm.

It is second only to Tirónar in the sheer amount of Fae Gardens, magic in its ecosystems, and Fae activity in general.

One could even make the argument that it should be considered the MORE magically potent than Tirónar, simply because of the all-encompassing cultural impact this magical environment and proximity to Fae Folk has had on the continent’s people groups. For obvious reasons, these “rankings” of magical ecosystems are extremely vague and difficult to categorize.

#Effrens #The Continent of Effrens #Lands Beyond Tirónar #The Lands of The Watch #watch au fun facts

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thewatchau · 3 years ago

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Lands Beyond Duilintinn: The Continent of Vaqone

Other Posts in this Series:

The Mortal Realm as a Whole •

The Continent of Tirónar • Duilintinn • Haneul • Halennor • Lantraeth • Borrike • Grancinco • Tandeli • The Island League • Leyfel • Fasithe •

The Continent of Effrens •

The Continent of Iontassia • The Iontassian Union • Las Buscadoras

The Continent of Senfara •

The Continent of Vaqone •

The Frozen Wastes •

The Unnamed Continent •

Souls and Magical “Energy” • Magic in Nature • Fae Folk, Fae Realm, Fae Gardens, and Imagination Dimension • Vaqone’s Soul-Bearing Beings

In This Post:

Summary

Foreign Relations

Administration

History

Geography

Ecology

Economy

Culture

Trivia

Additional Art

Concepts in Development

Bard’s Note: @theshapeshifter100 is the primary creative force behind the foreign continent of Vaqone. All I’ve contributed are a few ideas and the bit of lore that’s tied up with the lore of other continents. I know very little about the majority of the youtubers that these countries are based upon in the meta; the vast majority of this is @theshapeshifter100‘s work, so please, give her all the credit!

Summary

Vaqone is a continent in the northern hemisphere of the Mortal Realm.

Foreign Relations

The eastern part of the continent is mostly civil with Tirónar, with the exception of the territory beyond the mountains, which have had issues with Borrike in the past. However traders from the main continent do come to Tirónar, and leaders from the Random Encounters country has worked with and collaborated with various leaders in Tirónar, including King Mark, King Sean, Admiral Matthew, and Nathan of Fasithe. The western countries don’t really affiliate with Tirónar on account of distance, but traders looking for adventure make the trek.

There are four major southeastern islands that are considered part of Vaqone, and a couple of them have worked with the Grump Council of Halennor, Princes Dan and Phil of Lantraeth and King Sean.

The southwestern regions of Vaqone also have a trade relationship with the northeastern half of the Unnamed Continent, which has existed since the days of the Waldren Occupation.

Known Allies

Haneul, Duilintinn, Fasithe, Leyfel, Lantraeth, Halennor

Public Opinion

Generally positive or neutral in Tirónar. Still some issues with the T Series territories in Borrike

Administration

System of Government

Varied, mostly single leaders, with several kingdoms having joined in marriage to form one kingdom. The RandomEncounters country has a council, but it is very clear that AJ is in charge. In the north west where Tom Fawkes holds sway now used to be held by a combination of Chuggaaconroy, ProtonJon and NCS, then Tom gained enough power to hold what became enough land for his own kingdom, curtesy of three other leaders. NCS, Lucajin’s and ProtonJon’s territories have shifted a bit over the years to compensate for Jon and Luca’s union.

Currently FamilyJules and Adriana are interesting, since they are in a relationship, but their countries are split from each via the lake! It’s not common to see vessels from their countries going back and forth across it.

Military

Varied, some don’t have large armies, some do. Coastal countries and the countries bordering the lake have decent boat craft and navy. The countries surrounding the forest have excellent archers, as do the countries surrounding, but not in, the desert. They have more of a cavalry and mounted archers while the forest archers are on foot, or in trees.

Education

Varied. As a general rule history, performing arts, storytelling and music are all taught, but obviously not everyone goes for it. Various levels of intensity across the continent, some have formal schools, others learn as apprentices, all depending on where you are and what you are studying.

History

Vaqone’s history has not been elaborated upon in full yet in canon. However, a few details are known:

Cerca the year 0 on the Duil-Feadhainn Calendar, a large fleet of ships from islands north of Tirónar found themselves stranded in southern Vaqone after attempting to explore the Borrian Ocean. The languages and cultures of these people groups would combine with the native tongues and traditions of southern Vaqone to influence the region’s modern language and culture.

At some point during or prior to the mercantilist conflict between Senfara, Iontassia, and the southwestern regions of the Unnamed Continent, ships from southwestern Vaqone and ships from the northeastern Unnamed Continent encountered each other and began trade relationships between the two regions.

In the early 1610s, a nation on the eastern coast of Vaqone began expanding dramatically to cover the entire region east of the mountains and several of the islands east of Vaqone. In 1613, this expansion accidentally resulted in a territory dispute with Borrike of Tirónar over several of these islands. Though tensions were high for a time, the conflict was resolved within a year.

Geography

Major Geographic Features

The Desert:

Not so much sand as low precipitation. Dry baked earth with the odd oasis and high winds. The closer you get to the middle the hotter it gets and the stronger the winds become, kicking up dust and making it hard to see. It’s said that some of the oasis’s don’t stay in the same place, that they shift and move. People do live there (OSP): they tend to be focused on older myths and history, with a strong focus on education. It’s said that ruins and powerful creatures can be found under the dust and earth. Giant sand snakes, creatures made of rock, living cacti. No luck finding anything in the ruins so far though, every time a ruin is found it can’t be re-found.

The Lake:

It’s almost like another sea inside a continent, only the water is definitely fresh. There are marshes, fens and bogs all around the lake and populated islands inside it. These islands are mostly focused on story analysis, theories and rewriting. It is said powerful creatures sleep beneath the water.

The Forest:

There are definitely creatures in the forest. Whether of magical origins is uncertain, but forests that big attract stories anyway. People live in and around this forest anyway. Given it’s large size there is large shift in species and climate, moving from a roughly temperate forest in the north, to downright tropical in the south. The people who live here (8bitgaming and Dawko) have a specialisation in scary stories and horror. Which is interesting given that they are surrounded mostly by musicians.

The Mountains:

The range has various passages for traders and other travellers to go through. Other than the mountains are generally impassable. The temperature varies on either side of the range. The north is colder and gets more snow, the south more temperate and warm.

Islands:

To the east towards Tirónar are three islands who have ties to both Vaqone and Tirónar, the Jaden island being one of the closest to Tirónar, the other being the KickthePJ island. Jaiden’s island also has rich bird life and thick jungles while PJ’s is a bit more urbanised, but really embodies the storytelling that Vaqone loves. The middle island (Odd1sout) is more agriculture based, the closest to Vaqone island (BrizzyVoices) is known for mimicking voices, either through mundane skill or magic or both.

Climate

Variable. Colder in the north, warmer in the south. More specifically, the north west is on the same latitude as Tirónar so similar to western continental Europe (Italy, Spain etc). While as you move south it becomes much warmer. The desert is the first real heat spot, and while it does get warmer in places further south, there is more rain. Beyond the mountains it is generally colder than the rest of the continent.

There is an annual monsoon season that hits the south east and travels west as much as it can before petering out around the lake.

Ecology

Wild Species

Snakes. Snakes everywhere. Burrowing snakes, swimming snakes, gliding snakes. If you’re afraid of snakes, Vaqone is not for you. Although to balance it out, there are plenty of mongoose, no flying ones though.

There are various species of wolves, some can be found mostly in the north and along the mountain range, while a smaller, lighter variation can be found in and around the desert.

Tigers and similar large cats can be found in the south, and the further south you go the brighter the wildlife becomes.

Foxes and deer are common, along with small cat species, monkeys, penguins along the coast. Parrots, cockatiels, racoon dogs, giant squirrels (ratufa genus (bicolour, affinis, macroura, and indica) specifically), large birds of prey

Domestic Species

Pigs, ducks, dogs, cats, small horses, rabbits, silkworms. Silk is a popular export in some regions.

Economy

Agriculture

Dependent on location, rice can be grown around the coast, the lakes, and rivers, wheat, buckwheat and soy most other places. There’s fruit like peaches, plums and cherries in the north, pomegranate, lychee, and mangos in the south. Seafood and fish. Desert is a tricky place to grow things, they rely on the areas of their country furthest from the desert and imports from other countries for food. Duck and pork are common sources of meat.

Trade

Silk, rabbit angora, gemstones, dye, rice, spice, pepper, and peppers are popular exports from Vaqone. Coffee is also a thriving product grown in the far south. Vaqone has trade relationships in the northern half of the Unnamed Continent

Culture

Language

Common is spoken, especially along the east coast, but it is not the predominant language. There are a mix of languages across the continent, with a French like language in the northwest, with some Latin like based in there. Around the rest of Vaqone I would imagine languages similar to the variety in our East Asia would be found. This came about from the northern Tirónar islands in approx. Feadhainn year 0 decided to make the foolhardy journey to Vaqone and became shipwrecked there, and a version of their language combined with the native language of the time persisted in the southern regions of Vaqone.

Cultural Highlights

An imaginative and artistic continent, some focus more on art, some more on various forms of music and storytelling. Some countries have a louder population, some quieter, there’s no real directional shift, it really depends on the country. Attacking Tucans is particularly loud.

The Western half of the continent every year has a Coliseum, which is a weekend straight of events around storytelling, music, competitions, comedy. Stephen and Mal have another annual similar event. All of these events are in aid of raising money for worthwhile causes.

There are many stories that have common threads that persist across the continent, although no one telling is exactly the same. Common threads include giant spike turtle monsters, a reincarnating hero, princess and villain, doomed to battle throughout generations again and again, sentient weapons, and enlisting fae and magical creatures to battle in your stead.

The latter is so popular that there is a physical token and card game around it, most popular in the northwest, but has pockets of fans elsewhere. The leader of the Chuggaaconroy country has his own large collection. Some of these creatures are based on dragons fleeing the Dragon War who made it to Vaqone.

Perspective on Magic

Vaqone is the third most magical continent in the world, likely due to its proximity to Tirónar. However, this magical activity is not evenly distributed across the continent. Magical ecosystems and Fae Gardens tend to be more common in and around the forest, lake, and desert, so those bordering countries tend to have more Fae activity.

As a result, belief in and perspectives of magic vary heavily by region. Some believe it exists, some don’t. As a general rule, the closer you are to the desert, lake, or forest, the more likely you are to encounter magic. There are mages, and in working with the rest of the continent usually use it for performance, art and storytelling, but of course not everyone’s focus lies there.

The Fae are fairly common sights in the magical environments of Vaqone, under the right circumstances. However, they have a wide range of appearances, and it can be difficult to distinguish them from native, non-sentient magical creatures living in these same areas. One of the more well known forms taken by the Fae in Vaqone is that of a Baku, which is similar in appearance to a tapir and is said to eat nightmares.

Non-Human Soul-Bearing Races

See this post

Trivia

At one point, the tentative name for Vaqone was Muetju. That name will later be used for a country within this continent.

Another old tentative name for Vaqone was Keirfell. That name will probably end up as either the name of the currently Unnamed Continent or a country in Senfara

Additional Art

The following are a series of rough concept sketches of the layout of Vaqone. This continent is still very much under development and all of these images are likely some form of non-canon and/or subject to change.

Concepts in Development

@theshapeshifter100 is still developing some aspects of this continent. Here are some of the general ideas and meta info it will be based upon.

Meta List of Countries

A list of youtube content creators who the countries of Vaqone will be based upon:

Let's Play half:

Chuggaaconroy

ProtonJon

NintendoCapriSun

Luchajin

Tom Fawkes

StephenPlays (and Mal)

AttackingToucans

MasaeAnela

JoshJepson (and Brooke)

Marriland

Donnabellz

SuperJeenius

ACFan120

Ari Zona

Music Half

Adriana

Caleb Hyles

Peter and Evynne Hollens

Family Jules

Lindsey Stirling

Jonathon Young

Ellie Monty

Elsie Lovelock

Chris Holfelder

8-Bit Drummer

Random Encounters

CG5

Andrew Stein (Mando Pony)

Smooth McGroove

Seth Everman

In the Forest

8-bitGaming (8-BitRyan and Bazamalam)

Dawko

In the Desert

OverSarcasticProductions

In the Lake

SuperCarlinBrothers

Wotso

The Islands

BrizzyVoices

Odd1sOut

JaidenAnimations

KickthePJ

General thoughts and random lore

Most of the kingdoms with two names are ruled by a married couple, each have their own channels but for the sake of the AU they have mostly been combined. First we have Peter and Evynne Hollens, who were married in 2007, Stephen and Mal were married in 2011, Josh and Brooke in 2015 (1580*), Jon and Luchajin in 2018 (1611*). Because their marriage was so recent the kingdoms have not merged yet.

*Bard’s Note: I did look up the exact dates of each of these anniversaries to determine the correct AU date. However, we aren’t sure yet on how the first two dates will convert to AU years. If we go by the system established pre-December 1613 (AKA time moves 10x faster), that puts 2007 at the year 1498 and 2011 at 1537… which might not work, given the current year is 1616.

ProtonJon's kingdom will probably get the name Muetju, since I based that on the French language and he's Canadian. This is the same reason he's got the mountains.

Chuggaaconroy has mostly lived in desert or otherwise southern states throughout his life. He and MasaeAnela are irl in the same state, and are good friends. Naturally people ship them, although they have denied constantly they are a couple. This is my reasoning for them to be on opposite sides of the desert.

Stephen and Mal both live in a seaside city. No more explanations needed.

Chuggaaconry, ProtonJon, and NintendoCapriSun are the founding members of a group called TheRunawayGuys. They've had many guests (and not all of them are on this continent), but they are the core trio. Tom Fawkes did some animations for them and now he does stuff for them (I don't know exactly) So his kingdom exists as a sort of republic state between the three of them. A mix of TRG fans and Tom Fawkes fans that Tom has been put in charge of.

Tom Fawkes is possibly the only one in this lot I know of with an Ego of sorts. Lord Donator, an 'ego' who appears during the Coliseum and is basically Chaotic Good. He'll kidnap Lamp and hold them hostage so people will donate more to charity.

The only other person I can think of with an 'Ego' is MasaeAnela, with Chibi Masae. She may serve as her second in command, and the Chibi's violent urges have to curtailed every now and again.

Mases has animals from across the continent as her pets (IRL sugar gliders, ferret, dog and bird)

Masae and Jon both do streams, and sometimes those streams are raided, both have countermeasures. So this could translate to a friendly testing of each country's defences.

Chuggaaconroy is notoriously innocent and a bit frustrating sometimes. It is said in their get togethers that you can hear King Jon scream "EMILE!" from the other side of the continent.

AttackingTucans and JoshJepson are close together because they have a competitive Versus channel.

Marriland has helped out Chugga a lot, but is still very separate, hence why opposite him.

Stephen's parents feature prominatly in his vlogs, as do many of his friends. His friends I will probably cop out with and have them as a court of some sort. His parents were the previously rulers who abdicated, because that makes more sense honestly. That way the can still provide advice.

Every year the entire east side of the continent will stage a Coliseum event to raise money for charity. Other kingdoms will have their own fundraisers, but the Coliseum is a massive event that many people get involved with.

FamilyJules and Adriana have also appeared on Coliseum so that's why they're so close to the Let's Play half. 8BitDrummer has also appeared, I was just a goof about remembering which is why he's so far away right now.

Chris and Peter have collabed, which is why they're nearby.

Caleb and Jonathon often collab as well.

I tried to put people who have collabed with Random Encounters near them, as well has having RE on the coast because people off continent have collabed with them too.

Caleb's kingdom was once plagued by a Phantom of the Opera like figure, who kidnapped Caleb at one point to forcibly train him to be a better singer (this happened on the channel in 2015, before any serious ego stuff from Mark or Sean) (5, 6). He appears to have deleted most of the videos around this except from the two linked, the beginning and the end.

Proclamations in the East in general would be educational, since the style of Let's Play here is more walkthrough than reactionary. This is not always the case, but is a general rule.

In the West, mostly musical performances, big focus on the arts.

Stephen and Mal are kinda interesting, since they do daily vlogs, lps and Mal has an art channel (Mal Makes). Masae is also artistic, so art is often coming out of those kingdoms too.

As of the 19th April 1615, the third Coliseum, the Lamp commonly associated with Lord Donator appeared in Stephen and Mal's kingdom, lighting itself after being blown out, or when deprived of fuel, glowing red of it's own accord (7).

09.09.20, 9th September 1615, Emile posted his first video talking about his extensive Pokemon card collection (8), which I reckon can be transplanted to the AU. Pokemon can be Fey like creatures that appear on this continent, or at least, some of them.

#The Continent of Vaqone #Lands Beyond Tirónar #The Lands of The Watch #submission #seriously most of this is word for word holly's work

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