Oldtera

This page is a sub-page of the Geography page which records all major regions of the Alorian world and explains roughly what each Nation or area is like. Oldtera, in particular, is in a southeast direction from Regalia and is home to a handful of states, some unfortunately depopulated while others thrive. Some of these pages may be tied to more expansive lore, which is linked within their respective table rows. Below is a piece of the Geography map cut out to show the relation between all the nations geographically.

Name	Description
Kelmoria & Silverwind	Kelmoria and Silverwind are both small island regions held by the Regalian Empire, though with a far older history. Once part of the network of Velheim trade that went across the world after the ancient magical gates that linked their people failed, the islands eventually fell out of use and became only known to local fishermen. The Regalian Empire then rediscovered the islands and established colonies on both, but each met a sad fate. Silverwind’s government broke down during the Regalian Pessimism and became a haven for pirates and Asha Corsairs before Regalia retook control following the coronation of Alexander I. The region then saw a gradual depopulation over the following decade. Meanwhile, a huge eruption on Kelmoria caused the colony’s evacuation, with the new settlement established in 307 AC never growing to as much prosperity. As for Silverwind, it is under a constant quarantine of ships, and rumors state it is now home to a great treasure Alexander I had hidden on the island. It would be near-suicide to land to search for said treasure as, following a small handful of security breaches in recent years, there are patrols actively walking the jungles and beaches, with newly installed machinery capable of detecting outside forces. Both regions are ruled directly by officers of the Regalian Military and are essentially outposts for the navy with storehouses of raw goods and supplies for Regalian vessels.
Ruttswyn, Serman & Søren	This trio of Oldterran states exist in infamy among those of the wider Regalian Empire for the thoroughly messy and confusing Carrhen War of recent years. However, in past decades, each was a thriving state with different focuses. Ruttswyn was a land of diverse religions from Unionism, brought by trade, to Fornoss, and to other faiths existing at the edges of society. Serman was a carved-out piece of land from a complex political maneuver by a duke in 210 AC, which remained independent through various means. Lastly, the island of Søren was much like Ruttswyn, with a plurality of faiths within its borders. All three states were heavily focused on agriculture and were also the homelands of the Søri Velheim. Ruttswyn stood out, as they had signed the Navigation Acts by 300 AC, and were part of the Regalian Empire. As a result of this new influence, the Unionist faction within Ruttswyn society grew ever bolder and sought more political power. This broke out into the Carrhen War when a Unionist coup seized control of Ruttswyn, causing Unionists to rise up in Søren too. In the chaos that followed, all three states ended up turning against the Regalian Empire and were also all devastated by roving Regalian noble-raised armies, mercenary bands, Marken and Vampires. Unionists fled the region in droves, while the Fornoss follower populations also took a hit due to the region’s depopulation. The three nations are now struggling, their leadership wary of outside forces, but all three are also united due to common fears and strengthened cultural links. For more on Søri Velheim Culture, read Velheim Culture.
Ennehaven, Erralande & Eltalande	Also called the Endearing Lands, Ennehaven, Erralande, and Eltalande are quiet, tucked-away regions full of picturesque mountain valleys, lakes, forests, and fields. They have greatly benefited from low populations, yet strong regional identities, and wars long past which helped define modern borders as well as remind others in Oldtera that they are not pushovers. Erralande is the largest, and commands a large swath of central terrain on Carrhen (the name of the large landmass that dominates much of Oldtera), while Ennehaven to the north is full of coastal pastures, and Eltalande to the south shares a gulf with Serman to its north. Legend claims all three were once a united land, ruled by three sisters, but then two broke away and began many wars in the distant past which has resulted in the modern three nations. Ruled by King Eadling II, and Queens Ealferya and Ealdemma respectively, all three states are also notable for having signed the Navigation Acts and having entered the sphere of Regalian influence. However, Unionism has made little progress in the region due to its staunch traditional systems of belief, but also because of the recent Carrhen War. Most Unionists fled Carrhen altogether during and after the conflict, and fortunately for these three kingdoms, the war never crossed their borders. They survive, for now, but they are isolated more than ever, given recent events.
Connorock & Dercia	The two nations of Connorock and Dercia are outliers in Oldtera, bastions of the Dunden Culture far more concentrated to their northwest in Southwynd. Both were founded centuries ago before the Cataclysm by the ancient spread of the Dunden people before that world-changing event ended their growing dominance. Connorock was said to have been founded by a warrior king, and the same is true of Dercia, which led to both nations clashing many times over the years. Both lands are also notably rugged, with mining their biggest source of wealth, though they have continued to foster Dunden ideals even into the modern day. Both regions have also attacked the nations to their north at different periods of their history, but the Endearing Lands have good natural boundaries and strong border defenders who have kept Connorock and Dercia at bay. Connorock is ruled today by King Konnor XI, while Dercia is overseen by King Menda III, and there has been peace between the two regions for a few decades now. The Carrhen War saw extensive participation by mercenaries from both states, but the catastrophic outcome has seen both nations pull back from external affairs.
Millswyn, Wayellswyn & Ecthelaar	The Small South of Carrhen as it is occasionally known is largely viewed as a backwater, a land of rustic lands and little wealth. This is indeed true, but many miss other sources of value hidden in each of these lands. Unlike the Dunden states to their north, all three states are Cearden in origin, and are some of the few surviving remnants of true Ceardian culture, at least the elements without the warlords and incredible factionalism. Millswyn is rural and quiet, the perfect picture of a late-age Ceardian kingdom before the Destruction of Ceardia decades ago. Wayellswyn, meanwhile, is a land of storytellers, replete with myths and fairy tales both carried from Old Ceardia many years ago, and literary creations generated due to the nearby Asha Silontaar’s incredible magic. They are also excellent archers, and many make their way across the wider landmass of Carrhen as part of mercenary bands. Ecthelaar, by contrast, is very lightly populated, but is full of old burial sites, ruins, and more, from millennia ago, and is believed to feature a long ruined gate from the same network the ancient Velheim once used. The region’s populace is extremely superstitious and with good reason, as the disturbance of the gravesites has only ever yielded terrible creatures and outcomes for those involved.
Silontaar	The ancient state of Silontaar is the source of many myths and fables among the region’s Ailor, though few know the entire truth of the nation’s origins, even the modern Silontaar. It is generally held that the Silontaar were a colony of Asha who, through a trick by a Khama God, ended up helping birth a new member of the pantheon centuries after the destruction of the Dewamenent Empire. This newly born god then became the patron of Silontaar and allowed them to become deeply invested in Magic, to the point of not requiring regular sustenance, and allowing them to abandon the technology of the Dewa era. Silontaar gained very powerful magical defenses through this shift and fended off the Allorn Empire as well as occasional Ailor incursions for thousands of years, until the Cataclysm. With the mass migration of the Asha to a new homeland following the collapse of the Allorn Empire, the Silontaar ended up connecting with other Asha for the first time in millennia, and Silontaar was slightly opened up to the world. However, their borders against their Ailor neighbors remained strong, with a magical barrier extending out from an ancient coastal city and its environs with a limited settlement of the large countryside the Silontaar claim in the modern day. For more on Silontaar Asha, read Asha Lineages.
Zeswyn Isles	The Zeswyn Isles are held in unique reverence by the modern Velheim as the ancient site of their faith’s founding. Thousands of years ago, just as the Elves were first reaching Oldtera, the Isles were colonized by the first brave Ailor explorers, who with settlements back on mainland Ceardia, formed a cultural group that was unique for their polytheistic faith, accepting many gods whereas other ancient Ceardian groups only accept one god per tribe. It is said among the Fornoss faithful that Zeswyn was the site of the great exodus of the ancient Velheim away from Oldtera, and to the island of Aldra, wherever that might be. Zeswyn was thus abandoned for centuries, perhaps millennia, before other Ailor gradually settled the rocky region. The Velheim later returned, as their network of magical gates shut down, requiring sea voyages that the Velheim took to with gusto. They established a trade and pilgrimage route back to Zeswyn which later broke down as the Velheim reorientated north. With the arrival of a greater Ceardian presence in the Isles, the last remains of Velheim Culture were dissolved. Today, these rocky islands have a limited populace which plies the waters for sustenance. They ignore the barely remaining ruins of the ancient past and find the occasional Fornoss-following visitors a good source of outside knowledge and wild tales from far afield. The Regalian Empire has a formal claim to the area, and one or two small outposts, but broadly leaves the locals alone.
Old Ceardia	Old Ceardia is broadly considered the cradle of the Ailor Heritage, and the origin of several other groups, such as the Skyborn. Old Ceardia was initially a large landmass with a diverse array of biomes fostered by unique geography and wind patterns across its position in the Alorian south. It was also a land replete with gods and faiths of the early tribal Ailor, like Fornoss or The Covenant. But contact with the Elves of the Allorn Empire brought chaos. The Oblation Wars drove a huge population migration away from the coastline and a turn against many forms of Magic. Warlords emerged, making use of knowledge acquired or stolen from the Elves to rule over their people and make war against other groups. Some, like the ancestors of the Velheim, ended up fleeing the entire continent, and over the millennia others would also leave, driven away from the homeland out of fear of the Elves or the warlords. Just before the Cataclysm, Ailor had left Old Ceardia by the hundreds of thousands and had established themselves over much of the world. Following the transformation of Aloria, the warlords gradually faded into petty kingdoms and small states across all of Ceardia which feuded with each other. The Regalian Empire arrived but had little presence before the Destruction of Old Ceardia drove what was left of the Ailor population into flight. This disaster has only recently been reversed, in the smallest of ways, by the creation of new colonies in Old Ceardia by the Regalian Empire. Whispers speak of this Kade or that Kade being responsible for much of the government effort behind the recolonization of the region, despite limited returns at this stage. But, where there was once hopelessness, there is hope again for the homeland of the Ailor.