Description
As an attempt to reinvigorate myself with my long-term project of my world, Totheia, I have begun the process of upgrading and updating the maps of the world. The first one is that of Ruenvarra, the largest continent of Totheia, and as such one of the more daunting challenges I've had in recent years. I owe the completion of this to the new program Wonderdraft which has made this process so much easier than my previous attempts with other cartography software. I was even able to incorporate my topographical and political maps into one. If you're a budding cartographer yourself, or in need of a nice map for a story or D&D campaign, I suggest giving it a try.
The original maps of mine may be found:
and
Cities
Labadee – One of the premiere port cities of Ruenvarra, Labadee is known for two things. The Twin castles that guard the crevasse that was long used as the original ‘secure’ path to the city, and the extravagant skywalks that line the majority of the city’s downtown area. The skywalks of Labadee almost have more square miles of space than the ground itself around the buildings. Many prominent stores make their homes within them. Some regions are residential. And some are unused and in disrepair due to newer, more appealing sections, making for a unique ‘underground’ network for smugglers and other vice. Labadee is also well known for not belonging to a more major governmental structure, owing allegiance only to itself and its own growth, making it a prime location for entrepreneurs who wish not to pay excessive taxes.
M’borrda – An old mountain town locked in an odd wintry climate location that seems to be paused in time, M’borrda looks the same even after the last thousand years of innovations. The town is always cold, snowy and windy, even though it rests in a more temperate region of the continent. It is technically a ‘middle class’ settlement that adopts the persona of a lower class one, as many of the residents of the town have made themselves quite wealthy, despite their race or status with the Conthetis Accord, from the many precious metal mines located in the region. M’borrda is also home to a station of military personnel for one of the major world powers, the Maburan Enmity.
Ettas – Capital of the Maburan Enmity, Ettas is a mixing pot city where all races of the higher class call home. It is one of the most technologically advanced cities upon Totheia, falling in behind Nibancus, Ckezathim and Gray City. Ettas is also home to what is known as the Delve, a landmark that was originally designed to study the inside of the world. It is a large pit dug into the ground with facilities of all types that dot the outside and inside, and finds itself nearly two and a half miles under the surface at its deepest point, where a lot of the most sensitive geological research in the world takes place. Ettas prides itself in its military technology, having numerous contracts with other nations in the world to provide the best they have to offer.
Ezipa – The only true settlement of note on the Gnarled Isles, Ezipa is a rough city to live in. Most of the city’s population is comprised of wanderers, vagabonds, adventurers, thieves, wilderness guides, and many other roughneck types. There really is nothing too much of note within its limits save for a building that serves as a meeting ground for a loose coalition of mercenaries. Three major mercenary groups share the same headquarters here, offering their services to anyone with one exception. That they are not hired to oppose one of the others within their coalition.
Lothiriele – Capital city of the equestrian races, Lothiriele is also home to the “King of the Land” known as the Huanyu, a title given to the individual chosen by the will of Totheia itself to represent nature within the realm of mortal kind. Lothiriele is what many consider a ‘paradise’, with an eternal spring, pure water, beautiful plants dotting the landscape, and a magical aura that fills the air that assists warding off sicknesses. The city rests beneath the massive, sprawling branches of the legendary World Soul, Ashmei, known as the "Governor" tree which serves as the conduit of communication from the world to the Huanyu. Ashmei is one of the two tallest trees on Totheia, rivaled only by a presumed sister tree, Ambrose, in Branzhyd, nearly on the opposite side of Totheia.
Kemersi – A large, equestrian city, Kemersi is named after a legendary king of Lothiriele who had many events that went unrecorded in history. Known for the large floating pillars of stone that surround the ancient keep atop a large hill that oversees a vast amount of the surrounding plains, Kemersi is a marvel to look at from a distance.
Tenuous – Tenuous is a city that hosts a nearly unbelievable history. At some point in history, two factions who couldn't be more opposite in their beliefs and methods were forced into an uneasy alliance to deal with a larger threat, the Ghastly Triune. Tenuous became the seat of their unified power and is easily defined by its night and day appearance. To this day, the factions remain allies, as their bond and teamwork was surprisingly effective, and has earned the nation of Chuntheer the title of second longest spanning nation in world history. However, the city remains split, each half represented by one of the two allied factions. One appearing to be the epitome of selflessness and regality, the other the host of everything dark and misunderstood. Tenuous guards a high traffic pass that gives access to the Slag Asylum, Kin Fields as well as a major river that flows into the Quell. Its strategic importance has always been vied for by major powers within Ruenvarra, yet Tenuous remains firm in its neutrality, preferring to keep to itself and deal only with the politics of its own ‘tenuous’ alliance, rather than the complications of other nations.
Ulstang – Another of the infamous underground cities, Ulstang is the capital city of the Ebon Sixirre (Drow) and ruling seat of the Drider Conclave, overseen by Veszai herself, progenitor of the Drider race. The majority of the city still rests in a preserved state, relying on the natural glowing mushrooms to provide light and original rock formations to give the city shape, yet there is a large, more modern district where the Drow’s unique biomagical cybernetics technology reigns supreme. Ulstang is a haven for fetishes, the occult, and other devious paths of lifestyle, but is presented with a regal, cultured flair. The Drow however, despite allowing all races within their city, rule with an iron fist and make it known who truly rules their depths.
Buer’taam – Built within the cavern system that was the origin of the Zukyma, Buer’taam is the racial capital of the subterranean race. The city is still primarily constructed from the stone of the caverns, but with the number of enemies their race has endured over history, the Zukyma have been proactive in protecting the city within a shell made of Darksteel that serves many purposes, completed nearly four hundred years ago. It all but eliminates tectonic activity in the city, keeping the inhabitants safe from the threat of cave-ins or settling, and provides defense from any potential invaders seeking to avoid the heavily fortified entryways. The main entrance to the city is a large underground lake that leads to two massive pillars of bedrock that serve as fortification and stairway to the main rise of the city itself. These pillars are usually the most any outsider ever gets to see of Buer’taam as most trade and commerce occurs on the docks at their feet. Rumors abound about what may occur within the heart of the city.
Ametos – The chosen home of the Prismera Sixirre after the Kin Wars, Ametos blossomed quickly into one of Totheia's most massive cities, reaching a population of nearly sixteen million. It resides in a rather dry area of the Living Highlands, but the soil is rich with minerals and with the assistance of the sixirre, they have turned the region into a vibrant one. Ametos is iconic for the large skyscraper in the center of the city, known as the Brighttower. It is Totheia's tallest mortal made structure and is headquarters to many, many organizations and companies. The most notable offices held here are those of the seven High Shamans of the Prismera. Considered by most of Totheia's population as the guides of moral decency and protectors of life, the Shamans each pursue a different set of interests in the world, from policing the abuse of the Conthetis Accord, to deforestation and crimes against sentient life, and even being the premiere experts on health and wellness. The Brighttower is also home to the headquarters of the Gendarmes, a well known faction of paladin-like bodyguards who commit to contracts with their employer for life. One other landmark in the city is the Gathering Grounds, a massive park that hosts entertainment of every imaginable type at least somewhere within its span, with the exception of any lecherous activities or other types of entertainment that invite vice.
Muck – Aptly named for the dark, soupy soil that surrounds it, Muck is one of the few primarily Goblin settlements on Ruenvarra. Normally, a city such as Muck would not be worth mentioning, but for those that follow the faith of Nayatan and Aiyod, Muck is a place of reverence. Home to the Bracken Prophet, an ancient dead tree that somehow provides mystical enlightenment upon touch, it is a site for many pilgrims along their pilgrimage to places their faith considers holy. Because of this, there is an uneasy garrison of holy guards that call Muck their home, in order to protect these pilgrims from meeting unexpected misfortunes caused by the resident goblin populace.
Polt – A Murmillio city built upon a rather large bed of coral reefs, Polt serves as a waypoint for medium sized and smaller seafaring vessels in need of good entertainment. One of the larger gambling hubs, Polt is rife with military sailors and pirates alike. It is home to a number of other entertainment attractions as well, as there is a unique theme park, multitudes of clubs and music venues, legal prostitution, and Polt is home to three of the world’s most renowned restaurants. Besides tourism, Polt prides itself on being the headquarters of a few of Totheia's most powerful trading corporations and fishing industries, many of which work in tune with the natural flow of ecology within the oceans of the world, a staple in Murmillio ways of thinking.
Gaidoran – “The Golden Cleft”. A nickname given to the secluded homeland of the Naga for its lavish use of gold. Streets and buildings alike are plated and sometimes crafted entirely from the precious metal. The city sits in a cove along the shores of Tsuthuku, the largest forest upon Totheia, and oversees a dangerous coastline that prevents any sort of seaborne landing by vessels. Statues of prominent figures in Naga history that dot the city are immortalized in another precious metal, platinum, and are well taken care of by resident captives of other races.
Everden – The serene, silent, yet rather savage feel of the capital of the "Wild Sixirre", a political branch of the True Sixirre race, Everden is a city like no other upon Totheia. Most technology appears to have been banned from the city, as its residents enjoy the hardships of living in an untamed wilderness. Built among a large grove of special trees growing from a shallow river that produce a haze of magical tranquility that nearly suppresses all aggression in any being that stands within it, sentient and beast alike, Everden is considered one of the safest settlements in the known world.
Astreidele – An ancient Sixirre capital, Astreidele is no longer considered such. A city with a long history, Astreidele still commands respect among the world as it hosts Totheia's finest military academy. This academy owes no allegiance to any nation, creed or race, and trains anyone with the credentials and aptitude in the art of war, for the goal of ultimate peace. Those who graduate are treated with immense respect around the globe, and due to their neutral stance, and having educated a number of officers in many of Totheian nation’s militaries, Astreidele is left alone if ever there is a conflict that arises between the nations of sixirre in the region.
Regions
Slag Asylum – The Slag Asylum is a treacherous region of open faced volcanism, an open wound on the face of the planet where molten rock flows like rivers and volcanoes are active day and night all year long. The region is named after the large faction of miners, thrill seekers, and roughnecks that took up residence here. Mostly populated by Fire Mysticals, Devil Fae, Goblins and other heat tolerant races, this region of the world is arguably one of the most dangerous places to travel on foot. In fact, it is downright ignorant to do so, but possible. The majority of the region tends to slope downhill towards the massive fresh water lake known as the Quell, which is named for the extinguishing of the flows of lava from this congregation of super calderas.
Tsuthuku – Totheia's largest forested region (akin to the Amazon on Earth), Tsuthuku, or “wild vineyard” as many call it, spans thousands of miles of coastline and inner reaches of Ruenvarra. Both the Naga and the Wild Sixirre call this region their place of origin and the forest is mostly left alone by settlers of other races because of the fiercely protective natives. Tsuthuku is widely considered one of the few true frontiers left on the world, with the majority of J’ritus still claiming number one on that list. However, this massive forest still provides new discoveries time and time again as the scientific side of mortal kind slowly delves further and further into it.
Baneweald – A forest that is practically avoided at all costs by anyone with a true sense of intelligence, the Baneweald is populated by flora that produce spores that tend to have a permanent effect on mortal beings, bringing out a hostile nature and fueling aggression to new heights. This effect has yet to be explained and numerous companies are attempting to create inoculations or cures for it. Over the history of the world however, there have been a number of victims that have ultimately settled in to the forest, calling it home. These individuals live a mostly solitary life as anyone caught in the forest for too long loses all sense of civility and compassion, usually attacking, and often killing, anyone they come across.
Landmarks
Red Hail Peak – The most well feared volcano in the world, Red Hail Peak is not truly as scary as it is made out to be in public understanding. The interior of Red Hail Peak is home to an odd phenomenon that causes the air to drastically cool compared to the warm stone when the sun sets. This constantly active volcano was made into legend among Totheians for its impressive displays of violent projectile eruptions (mainly caused because of the changes of internal temperature within the inside of the caldera), spewing large chunks of molten rock into the nearby mountains surrounding it. It was here that the ancient Huanyu, Kemersi, met his end unexpectedly and in an ironic fashion. In current days, the former Sahnshigar, or enforcer of the council of dragons, a True Sixirre named Vhixi, calls Red Hail Peak her headquarters. Vhixi is now a “goblin queen” of sorts, having amassed an army of nearly three thousand goblins under her service, for what purpose is still unknown.
Ghastly Triune – Three large monuments carved into large sections of stone that pierce out from a large waterfall, these monuments are sculpted into the likenesses of a group of allies from long ago who worked together to nearly conquer the known world of their time. The trio, one Tizal'hesh, one human, and one Zukyma, were successful in conquering nearly all of Ruenvarra, Camaam, the Ombarre Archipelago, and the southern part of Xegestos, as well as slaying the Chimera, Abestesza, before they were finally defeated by the alliance of Tenuous and the aid of Illduiva. However, these monuments still stand, protected by powerful magic to ensure their presence long into the future. Inscriptions on the middle statue however… suggest that their reign has never truly ended.
Other comments:
As always, comments and questions are very much welcome. Keep in mind that I do not have descriptions completed for each and every location on the map here, but I will in time. Thanks for the view!