Kingdoms
Draikha
The Kingdom of Clans
The kingdom farthest from where the Crystal City once stood, the Dwarves of Draikha sought to find the limits of their race, searching how far they could go both literally and figuratively. Draikha might not be the first, second or even third dwarven kingdom, but it is the biggest to date, being made up of a large number of dwarven clans banded together.
Before the Orc warlords were pushed back into Mudor, the Dwarves were one of the most common peoples to be ravaged by the Orcs, leading to a blood feud that lasts to this day. Because the Orcs were hunting their people to extinction, they turned to the once place that they could, the oceans. Separated into tight knit communities, they each formed their own clans, these clans would live on massive city boats and would focus on a specific type of trade such as fishing or metalworking.
Each of these clans would rule themselves for a while before the constant conflict led them to agree that they should have a central overruling government. So they would all decide to hold a vote and would decide on a new king or queen as their first ruler. They would also form a council of representatives from each clan to represent their interests.
Ipharis
The Kingdom of Men
The first kingdom to be founded, the humans of the north were the first race whose people were united under a single ruler.
The humans of Ipharis are a varied people, seemingly never content with what they have, they seem to always innovate something new to do.
Humans, you love them or you hate them. Due to Humans natural curiosity and ambition they were one of the first species to develop towns and settlements. But with making that came the Orc raiders who would burn and pillage from their homes. So humans being humans, came up with a solution. They banded together and created a home for their people, selecting a leader by the name of Verinel Ipharis.
They started to develop armies to defend themselves, and when they came in contact with other races, they used diplomacy and show of might to get their way. But even though they seem great on the outside, internally the kingdom of Ipharis is filled with internal conflict. In the capital city the rich xenophobic nobles pass laws preventing any non-humans races to move there. While on the outskirts villages are being ignored by the military as they get raided by Orc bands.
Mudor
The Kingdom of Fire
Although the Orcs arrived in the land they would call Mudor just after the humans and giants settled their lands, they would need far longer to unite and proclaim a leader. The utterly inhospitable landscape that they call home has driven off weaker races such as Goblins and Trolls, yet the Orcs of Mudor proudly proclaim the bubbling surface to the east home.
Orcs have always naturally collected in groups for hunting and pillaging, for a while they were wandering nomads, raiding small villages. But once the different species started to create kingdoms and elect rulers, and with that came the development of armies and an organised fighting force. The Orc raiding parties had dealt with small town militias that tried to fight back but nothing to that extent. And so with their main method of survival depleted their species would begin to decline, until an Orc by the name of Muph’narl was born, to the Orcs he is considered a Orc blessed by the gods, he was born with the great strength of the Orcs but the cunning and creativity of Humans. When he saw what was happening to his people, he realised there needed to be a change. And so he observed the realms of Men, learning the way of farming, before travelling with any Orcs he could gather to find a new home. Due to the fact that Orcs were known for pillaging and raiding villages, no kingdoms wanted them nearby. So the Orcs turned to the one viable option, the fiery landscape that would later become Mudor. For a while living there was harsh, but eventually they began to learn how to grow crops there and to build solid permanent houses.
One day a group of Orcs who disagreed with this new ‘civilised’ lifestyle, attacked the new settlements. Muph’narl gathered a fighting force and fought them back out of their land. But sadly in the final fight Muph’narl was struck down. Without a leader the Orcs struggled, so they decided to elect one, for to devolve to their cruel pillaging ways, would go against their now saint Muph’narl.
Nynith
The Kingdom of the Lost
The last kingdom to be founded, the Elves of Nynith are the ones most used to hardship. Having been forced to wander since the fall of the Crystal City, the majority of their people still live a nomadic lifestyle to this day.
The Elves, a powerful people, leading the way for technological advancements. At least, they used to be. During the time when Elves were the most powerful, they got curious on what lies beyond the overworld, leading to the discovery of the Nether, but still they craved more, and reached out into a realm no creature should ever see, the Void. The creatures that lived there could drive a sane man mad, and a madman to the brink. The Void was ever hungry, and when the elves opened a portal to it, it consumed them, driving them insane and leading to the destruction of the Crystal City, with brother turning against brother as some of the unholy beast from the void razed and consumed.
Eventually a group shut down the portal, but by then it was too late. Shattered and in pain, the Elves developed into 4 factions, the High Elves, who desperately cling to the past, trying to build other great cities like they had before. Wood Elves, who live in the great forests, closed off to other races, believing they are the cause of their misfortune. Dark Elves, who are constantly moving, for the fear that the Void will one day return and consume them all. And Deep Elves, who moved underground in warrens and fortresses to try and defend against any type of attack, were fearfull and zenophobic. The Elves may have once been a grand people, but nowadays they are merely a scared and fallen race.
Yuvaral
The Kingdom of Frost
Unlike their smaller kin to the north-east, Half-Giants were not united due to the ambition of a prominent figure, but through necessity. Huddled together in a cave large enough to host most of the Half-Giant population, it was there that the chieftain of the largest tribe was proclaimed king.
For the longest time Half-Giants were solo and small group wanderers who lived off the land. This was until more and more species started to explore the land they called their home, claiming it for themselves. and because Half-Giants look like terrifying beasts to some, they were attacked and killed. Due to this they banded together and found refuge in a massive cave system. But when a large group of solitary creatures are put together, there is bound to be a conflict. Large scale fights would constantly break out, and because of this the majority of Half-Giants decided to elect a ruler, and what better way to select a ruler to stop conflict than the one who wins all conflict.
So for 3 long weeks all Half-Giants who wished to rule, be it male, female or hell, even a child, fought until finally there was one victor. This man was crowned Gerzal Shorstvan the Uniter. He would go on to rule the Half-Giants for 23 years before being killed in an avalanche.
