MIR is a vast and still largely untamed land stretching across the central region of the Wide World. It has coasts on both the icy northern Stormveil Sea and the placid southern Sea of Helicos, and it straddles both the continent of Duatha to the west, and the Three Kingdoms of Tianxia to the east.
The diverse cultures and peoples of Mir were shaped by an undulating cycle of migrations and conquests. It is said that the first people of this land were the Kos, who inherited the land from the Fading Folk when the great Faerie One-Forest began to recede. Over thousands of years, Mir weathered successive incursions by other peoples - Ymiri sea raiders (northwest), the First Empire of Cyrona (south), warlords from Torvar (southwest), the Daramadi Caliphate (southeast), and by the various horse-tribes of the Taizong Steppes (east-east).
The main cultural and political entities of the region are:
- OLD KOSHKVA - (north central)
- VOSNYIA - (central)
- MALOCOVIA - (south central)
- DOBRINIA - (west)
- PHINSK - (east)
- RASTANIA - (south east)
- CHERNAGOR - (north east)
OLD KOSHKVA ~ The Land of the Bear Prince (fairytale Russia)
Beneath the great northern snow-wastes of Utgaard is a vast, wide belt of dense coniferous forests, hidden valleys, and cold pebbly shorelines. Along the fringes of this region are dotted small, ancient kingdoms, still ruled by the original folk of Mir. In Old Koshkva, human lands overlap with the untamed fae woods where the spirit world and old magics still hold sway.
The Kos people are fine-boned and dark-haired, and are said to have more than a drop of old faerie blood in their veins. Although influenced by many of the surrounding cultures, the lands of Old Koshkva have ever remained resistant to conquest, owing to their reputed pacts with primeval spirits and the Fading Folk.
The heraldic emblem of the Kingdoms of Old Koshkva is a regal bear, symbolizing the Guardian of the North, the great Bear Prince. In Koshkva, the Bear is esteemed above all other beasts for this reason.
MALOCOVIA ~ The Land of the Black Dragon (loose Balkan analogue)
When the Empire officially converted to the worship of The Three Prophets, Malocovia embraced the Saints of the Trine. Much later, as the Empire was in decline and the Emperor Mardius bowed to the Clarion High King, Malocovia did not join the Clarion Court. Instead, power was consolidated in the Mirsk midlands region under the Counts of the old entrenched Cyron Empire nobility.
Over the centuries, Malocovia has seen much internal strife, and warred extensively with most of the other Mirsk states. Today, it is an aggressive imperial force, and the Czar of Malocovia is the most powerful noble in all Mir. Phinsk stands under its dominion, many Princes of Vosnyia pay homage to the Czar, and the border provinces of Dobrinia frequently change hands after skirmishes. Only the kingdoms of Old Koshkva truly stand free.
In Malocovia, there is both great opulence and great poverty. Here, the draconian Czar lives in decadence while his scheming Counts rule with a boot on the necks of the people. The solemn patriarchs of the Northern Church of the Wheel are the dourest of zealots, with a pantheon of local saints who look disapprovingly upon secular joy and frivolity.
This climate of misery and oppression may be what truly sustains the Malocovian state. Its people are dark, bellicose folk, steeped in a history of bitter conflict with their neighbors and with each other. For now, the iron fist of the Czar suppresses and redirects that hatred, but it is said that a Malocovian never forgets a grudge.
The crest of the Malocovian Czar is a black-winged dragon with a long coiled tail. This derives from the legend of the First King of the Maloc, who was said to be descended from dragons. This seal reinforces the ancient mandate under which the Czar rules.
VOSNYIA ~ The Land of the All-Knowing Raven (medieval chivalric Kievan Rus)
Vosnyia is a large central heartland of golden fields, rolling hills, and winding riverlands. It is thought that the Vos people are the descendants of warriors from Ymir who sailed down the River Vesna long ago and settled there. They are a burly, blue-eyed folk, with booming voices and a fondness for strong drink. Vosnyia is also the home of Mirsk chivalry. Heroes and exploits are greatly admired, and are supported by a strong bardic tradition.
Authority is not centralized in Vosnyia. Each Prince is independent, ruling from walled city-states through a feudal system of lesser lords and knights. Unlike Malocovia, here the Church of the Wheel and the Saints of the Trine may rub elbows with older pagan gods and beliefs. Although the principalities of Vosnyia may squabble, they are unified in their opposition to foreign incursions, and especially to the Malocovian Czar’s burgeoning empire.
The crest of Vosnyia is a two-headed raven, symbolizing its ability to see both the past and the future. The symbol may be inherited from the two raven messengers of the Ymiri god Odin, but ravens have strong mythic associations throughout Mir.
DOBRINIA ~ The Land of the Winged Stallion (crypto Poland-Hungary)
The White Horse is the symbol of the Dobrin people. When depicted with wings, it is a sign of military victory and glory.
PHINSK ~ The Land of the Reindeer People (ethnic Sami / Baltics)
A cold, marshy lowland territory, interspersed with tangled forests and barren hills. The inhabitants of this poor, inhospitable region are largely roaming groups of hunters and herders, pitied and despised by other Koshkas. Phinska people vary by tribal affiliation, ranging from pale, lean-jawed blond folk, to swarthy, broad-faced eastlanders.
Phinskas owe a loose fealty to a hereditary King of the Phinskas, but it is an open secret that the King has long been in the pocket of the Czar of Malocovia. His seat is Volgorka, the only large settlement in the country. The crumbling walls of Volgorka rise over a damp plain at a muddy crossroads where nomadic herders have gathered for centuries to trade.
The crest of Phinsk depicts the Reindeer, and animal of great importance to the peoples of the region, both as a herding animal, and in their mythic traditions.
RASTANIA ~ The Wolf-Lands (south-central Asia, Cappodocia)
The crest of the Malocovian Czar is a black-winged dragon with a long coiled tail. This derives from the legend of the First King of the Maloc, who was said to be descended from dragons. This seal reinforces the ancient mandate under which the Czar rules.
VOSNYIA ~ The Land of the All-Knowing Raven (medieval chivalric Kievan Rus)
Authority is not centralized in Vosnyia. Each Prince is independent, ruling from walled city-states through a feudal system of lesser lords and knights. Unlike Malocovia, here the Church of the Wheel and the Saints of the Trine may rub elbows with older pagan gods and beliefs. Although the principalities of Vosnyia may squabble, they are unified in their opposition to foreign incursions, and especially to the Malocovian Czar’s burgeoning empire.
The crest of Vosnyia is a two-headed raven, symbolizing its ability to see both the past and the future. The symbol may be inherited from the two raven messengers of the Ymiri god Odin, but ravens have strong mythic associations throughout Mir.
DOBRINIA ~ The Land of the Winged Stallion (crypto Poland-Hungary)
Dobrinia is a country of grassy flatlands and light forest nestled between Torvaria and the rest of Mir. Like Malocovia, Dobrinia was colonized by the old Cyron Empire, but their society still retains the spirit of their horse-tribe ancestors. Dobrins are a fiercely militaristic folk and are ancient rivals to the Torvars and the Vos (whom they resemble). They are not without their own imperial designs, but are currently held in check between their powerful neighbors. Dobrinia is famed the world over for its expert riders and devastating armoured cavalry. Dobrins can often be found acting as mercenaries in Duatha and the Holy Kasparian Empire to the south.
The White Horse is the symbol of the Dobrin people. When depicted with wings, it is a sign of military victory and glory.
PHINSK ~ The Land of the Reindeer People (ethnic Sami / Baltics)
Phinskas owe a loose fealty to a hereditary King of the Phinskas, but it is an open secret that the King has long been in the pocket of the Czar of Malocovia. His seat is Volgorka, the only large settlement in the country. The crumbling walls of Volgorka rise over a damp plain at a muddy crossroads where nomadic herders have gathered for centuries to trade.
The crest of Phinsk depicts the Reindeer, and animal of great importance to the peoples of the region, both as a herding animal, and in their mythic traditions.
RASTANIA ~ The Wolf-Lands (south-central Asia, Cappodocia)
Rastania is the southeastern region of Mir, a barbaric land of rocky badlands, arid plains, and treacherous mountain passes. Further south, Rastania flattens out into desert, while east leads to the Taizong Steppes region of Kulan. Hardy folk of many different creeds make their homes here. Their violent existence and harsh landscape yields famously savage warriors. The Malocovian Czar exerts some control over the border-living Rastan warlords, but deeper into the highlands, no Maloc dares set foot. With no king or central power, the Rastan tribes hold little kinship with other Koshka peoples, save for the worship of some similar gods.
CHERNAGOR ~ The Black Lands ( mythic monsterland)
CHERNAGOR ~ The Black Lands ( mythic monsterland)
There are many regions of Mir that men fear to tread; the cold, dangerous northern wastes of Utgaard, home to giants and trolls; the wild, faerie-ruled lands of the vast All-Forest, where the boundaries of the spirit world are weak; the badlands of Rastania, full of strange gods, barbarians, and marauders… but Chernagor is the most contemptible of all. Legends say that in the Age of the Gods, a great, black star fell to earth and shattered the land. All life was either destroyed or twisted into a mockery of nature.
Now, Chernigor is a sprawling, dark scar on the All-Forest that bleeds monsters into the world. Sometimes these are creatures of chaos and madness; other times, they will coalesce into dark hordes of half-men who plunge into the world, reaving and conquering, more terrible even than the riders of Taizong. It has been centuries now since the last such blight, but there are rumours spreading through Koshkva, through Phinsk and Rastania, that dark forces are again gathering...
OTHER PEOPLES AND PLACES:
Besides the above nations, other folk are found in Mir, trickling in from the periphery...
The TAIZONG (mongols, etc)
Nomadic herders, hunters, and raiders who hail from the TAIZONG STEPPES. Although most Taizong are Eastlanders, the Steppes are vast, and many different tribes have been absorbed into the Taizong federations over the centuries. Famed warriors and horse-archers, their great hordes once rampaged through areas of Mir... and may yet again.
TALUMARS (muslims)
The lush lands of TALUMIA to the south are home to the Caliphs of the First Prophet-King (the Darmadi Heresy.) Their society is culturally rich, with strong social, religious, and military organization. At various points in history, the Talumars controlled large expanses of Mir. After a chain of defeats in Duatha 100 years ago, the power of Talumia has weakened, but remains a thorn in the side of Malocovia.
The YMIRI (vikings)
The tall, hardy boatmen of Ymir are raiders and traders without peer, boldly sailing their small ships across massive expanses. Their religion and culture still informs much of the northwest of Mir, and their ships are still seen on the waterways of the River Vesna.
TORVARIA (germans)
Across Mir’s western borders with the Duathan Continent lie the lands of the Torvar people. In times past, Torvarian knights led crusades into Dobrinia and Vosyia under the banner of the Wheel to stamp out pagan enclaves and heretical saints. In more recent times, the relationship has changed, with strong trade ties, and marriage bonds between the nobility of Mir and Torvaria.
Ten years ago, Torvaria became the heart of a new Holy Kasparian Empire, built on the bones of old Cyrona. It remains to be seen what intentions the new Emperor Reinhardt Torrig Kasparius has towards Mir, but the tensions between the Northern and Southern branches of the Church of the Holy Wheel are mounting…
Now, Chernigor is a sprawling, dark scar on the All-Forest that bleeds monsters into the world. Sometimes these are creatures of chaos and madness; other times, they will coalesce into dark hordes of half-men who plunge into the world, reaving and conquering, more terrible even than the riders of Taizong. It has been centuries now since the last such blight, but there are rumours spreading through Koshkva, through Phinsk and Rastania, that dark forces are again gathering...
OTHER PEOPLES AND PLACES:
The TAIZONG (mongols, etc)
Nomadic herders, hunters, and raiders who hail from the TAIZONG STEPPES. Although most Taizong are Eastlanders, the Steppes are vast, and many different tribes have been absorbed into the Taizong federations over the centuries. Famed warriors and horse-archers, their great hordes once rampaged through areas of Mir... and may yet again.
TALUMARS (muslims)
The lush lands of TALUMIA to the south are home to the Caliphs of the First Prophet-King (the Darmadi Heresy.) Their society is culturally rich, with strong social, religious, and military organization. At various points in history, the Talumars controlled large expanses of Mir. After a chain of defeats in Duatha 100 years ago, the power of Talumia has weakened, but remains a thorn in the side of Malocovia.
The YMIRI (vikings)
The tall, hardy boatmen of Ymir are raiders and traders without peer, boldly sailing their small ships across massive expanses. Their religion and culture still informs much of the northwest of Mir, and their ships are still seen on the waterways of the River Vesna.
TORVARIA (germans)
Across Mir’s western borders with the Duathan Continent lie the lands of the Torvar people. In times past, Torvarian knights led crusades into Dobrinia and Vosyia under the banner of the Wheel to stamp out pagan enclaves and heretical saints. In more recent times, the relationship has changed, with strong trade ties, and marriage bonds between the nobility of Mir and Torvaria.
Ten years ago, Torvaria became the heart of a new Holy Kasparian Empire, built on the bones of old Cyrona. It remains to be seen what intentions the new Emperor Reinhardt Torrig Kasparius has towards Mir, but the tensions between the Northern and Southern branches of the Church of the Holy Wheel are mounting…
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