Davania BC4000

[Havard]

Davania is the huge Continent in the South of the planet. I thought it would be interesting to look at Davania as a possible setting during the Blackmoor Era. For this purpose I have borrowed alot of ideas from Mystaros' Blackmoor Epic. Consult this mapfor exact location of the various realms.

Evergrun, Empire of
The very south of that continent is covered by a massive cold temperate forest, which hides the Legendary Kingdoms of Evergrun. At this time the Massive Evergrun Forest is inhabited by elves, faeries and all sorts of sylvan races, many of which no longer exist, as well as numerous Ancient Treants. The Elves were created by Ordana, the Forest Mother, some say by purging Yuan-Ti of their serpent blood. The childhood of the elves is long since over and they have now made contact with many of the other races of the continent. Many have also travelled to other continents including a several clans who have left for Skothar and now live within the Thonian Empire and Blackmoor.

Golden Empire
The lands around the Brasol mountains form the heartlands of the Golden Empire, a federation of Kingdoms dominated by Metallic Dragons and Enduks. The Enduks are followers of Ixion. Their relationship with the Enduks who later appear on the Immortal’s arm is unclear. The Dragons are creatures from another world, called to Mystara by Odin as allies for the Enduks in their struggle against the Draconic Empire of Brun. The Hin Kingdoms are under the protection of the Metallic Empire as are a large number of Oltecs from Brun who are on friendly terms with the Metallic Empire. Gold Dragons are the dominant dragon race, but Silver, Bronze and other Metallic Dragons also exist in this age.

Grunland, Kingdom of
The Elven Civilization also stretches north into the jungles of Pelatan, known as the Kingdom of Grunland, which is considered a colony of Evergrun. This is the Kingdom that eventually will give birth to Ilsundal and his followers who will lead the great migration to Brun in a later age. The elves who later make contact with Blackmoor are the ones who will become the Blacklore Elves. It is unclear what relationship these elves have with the Cumasti.

Hin Kingdoms
Several small Hin Kingdoms are found between the rivers just west of the Brasol Mountains. They are under the protection of the Golden Empire, and the Metallic Dragons have a strong influence on the Hin. The Halflings also have a good relationship with the Elves of Evergrun and its colonies.

The Serpentine Empire
Once the main servitor race of the terrible Carnifex, the Serpent Men grew to form a powerful Empire on Davania, through the domination of other scaled races. At this time, the Empire is way beyond its golden age and has grown weaker than in the past, corrupt and xenophobic. The Lizardman and Naga Kingdoms are slowly beginning to break away from their old masters.

Lizardman Kingdoms
Several Lizardman Kingdoms exits in Davania. Many of these are along the eastern Coast of Davania. These are now under the control of the Serpentine Empire. Many Lizardmen, unwilling to serve the tyranny of the Serpentine Empire serve as slaves of the Hin and the Golden Empire.

Naga Kingdoms
Some Naga Kingdoms on the northeastern coast are under domination of the Serpentine Empire. Serpentine Empire The East is dominated by the Serpentine Empire, the ancient nation of the Serpent Men, once created as servitors of the Carnifex. Their heartlands, is the Forest of Ka in the northeast of Davania. The Serpentine empier has regained its dominance over many of the younger Lizardman and Naga Kingdoms, although independent Naga Kingdoms exist on the Cestian Peninsula. The Serpentine Empire is no longer as expansionistic as it has been in previous periods, and have much less contact with other races than in the past, but their forest kingdom contains many dark secrets still…

An earlier draft of this material appears here.


Havard

[Havard]

I have been toying with the idea of having the Serpetine Empire have agents in the southern parts of Thonia. It seems like that might be within their reach. :twisted:

-Havard

[Chimpman]

Golden Empire
The lands around the Brasol mountains form the heartlands of the Golden Empire, a federation of Kingdoms dominated by Metallic Dragons and Enduks. The Enduks are followers of Ixion. Their relationship with the Enduks who later appear on the Immortal’s arm is unclear. The Dragons are creatures from another world, called to Mystara by Odin as allies for the Enduks in their struggle against the Draconic Empire of Brun. The Hin Kingdoms are under the protection of the Metallic Empire as are a large number of Oltecs from Brun who are on friendly terms with the Metallic Empire. Gold Dragons are the dominant dragon race, but Silver, Bronze and other Metallic Dragons also exist in this age.

We've had some fairly extensive conversations about this one over at the Piazza on the [Mystara 2300 BC] Davania thread. This may or may not work for your version of Blackmoor/Mystara, but the theory we worked out that I like the best was this:

The proto-Enduks (let's call them Taurans) are minotaur-like creatures without wings. They are slightly more bestial and bulky than modern day minotaurs and have some similarities with bison in appearance. After the GRoF, a servant of Ixion named Gildesh is set with the task of keeping what's left of the Golden Empire safe from the Wasting disease. After 700 years of doing this successfully, Ixion finally rewards Gildesh, taking a handful of the most devout Taurans and transforming them into Enduks (with wings).

Gildesh and his Enduks then leave Davania to make a home for themselves in Nimmur (on the nearby continent of Brun). From there the canon history picks up leading to the eventual death of Gildesh and creation of the minotaurs circa BC 2000.

I would say that both the Taurans and Gildesh are probably around in BC 4000 (but not Enduks, since they won't be created by Ixion until BC 2300). It's likely that Gildesh is a high-up in the Golden Empire's hierarchy even now, although he may not yet have been awarded Exalted status by Ixion.

[Chimpman]

I have been toying with the idea of having the Serpetine Empire have agents in the southern parts of Thonia. It seems like that might be within their reach. :twisted:

This is another idea that meshes fairly well with BC 2300 and the history of Mogreth. At some point a band of carnifex will flee their kingdom on Davania and establish a hidden kingdom in what will one day become Ylaruam. It is very possible that these Serpentine Empire agents are working for these carnifex - in essence scouting out the lay of the land.

[Havard]

I have been toying with the idea of having the Serpetine Empire have agents in the southern parts of Thonia. It seems like that might be within their reach. :twisted:

This is another idea that meshes fairly well with BC 2300 and the history of Mogreth. At some point a band of carnifex will flee their kingdom on Davania and establish a hidden kingdom in what will one day become Ylaruam. It is very possible that these Serpentine Empire agents are working for these carnifex - in essence scouting out the lay of the land.

In Mystaros' intial writeup, the Carnifex are already bannished by the time that the Serpentine Empire arises. With Geoff Gander's modifications of having some types of Carnifex avoid banishment, it is interesting to speculate on what impact that would have on the Empire. Most likely these Carnifex could easily gain power, but perhaps they at this time prefer to employ a more subtle control rather than having themselves as direct rulers (might attract Immortal attention?). But in either case, these groups may easily work together.

IMC I have also integrated the Wilderlands Setting to the southwest of Blackmoor (on Skothar). Linking these things together, I have the Markrab Civilization be the Carnifex of the Wilderlands. While the Markrab are long gone at the rise of Blackmoor, their servants live on as the Demon Empires on the southwestern shores of Skothar and Proto-Bellisaria. These Demon Empires are populated by half-Demons bred by the Markrab/Carnifex.

I suspect that the Serpentines would be avoiding the Demon Empires, but instead seek influence in the Jungle Realms on the Southeastern part of Skothar and may at some point even extend their influence north towards Thonia...


-Havard