The Tundlaheim Saga
23 april
Countries and cultures
The continent of Nivaris, known to the pirate clans as Tundlaheim, is a mysterious and awe-inspiring place with a wide variety of landscapes and fauna. Across its diverse regions, people live and thrive, shaped by their environments and having developed profoundly distinct cultures over generations. It is a world made for travelers and adventurers—a world where wonders pierce through the hardships of daily toil and endeavor.
Below, you can find brief conceptual texts for the various nations. Click on a nation's flag to access more detailed information.
Damméro
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Damméro is a nation focused on agriculture and fishing, characterized by few scruples and many secluded small villages. The people, who call themselves mérish, engage in buying, selling, and undertaking almost anything. Building wealth is a primary goal, and all means of achieving success are respected—as long as they do not fall within the long reach of the law, which leads to complete and excessive condemnation. Loyalty is subordinate to self-realization, so do not expect support if you find yourself in murky waters, not even from your closest kin. Although the nation is predominantly covered by dense conifer forests along the coastline and hills, those who have traveled through the country know that the forest thins out to reveal many ponds and marshlands. The settlements mainly consist of small timber house villages, but there are three larger cities—Baal, Hjartryk, and Tungelskinn—where most of the nation's trade is conducted. By Draconian standards, these can hardly be called cities. The climate in Damméro is generally damp and raw, often with fog and mist lingering over the lands.
The culture is inspired by European and Northern European traditions.
The people living in Hinside-Fall are often called Falleans by others, but they refer to themselves as Tundrans. The country is located in the far south, where vast forests gradually transition into more tropical environments, eventually becoming moors and inhospitable steppe landscapes. Rarely is anything of great significance heard from this wilderness. The country thrives on its forestry and fishing resources, and many of its inhabitants live very close to nature; some might maliciously say they follow a way of life suited for savages. Despite this, the Falleans are known for their expertise in medicine, craftsmanship, and nature-based superstitions—they are sometimes referred to as "learned" in these fields by other countries. Technically, the "nation" is a construct of other states, feeling the need to name and refer to the wast land in some way. However it is not a actual country, but a wilderness inhabited by hundreds of different tribes, each governing their areas. The village of Vindelfast has become a hub from where the outside world can interact with these inaccessible people.
Traveling uninvited in Hinside-Fall is extremely dangerous, as the land and many of its inhabitants are inhospitable.
The culture is inspired by African and Native American tribal cultures.
Hinside-Fall
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Zorostria
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The Zoroastrian mentality is characterized by caution and theorizing. The country's free caste has a widespread love for poetry and cryptically philosophical statements. The subdued and cautious national spirit has persisted in Zorostria ever since the nation was brought to its knees during the Battle of the Great Dazzle in the year 540 e.a.
In the year 1398 e.a, however, the empire reshaped itself under a new emperor, and in a revolutionary coup, the corrupt were purged from the capital, and a new fleet was launched to retake the Hissna fjord, which is now firmly under their control.
The country is governed from the capital, Nibelmyn, by an Emperor or Empress. This ruler has considerable autonomy but is still expected to rely on the Windvane, a council of scholars, in certain matters.
Inspirational culture: East Asian
Mandrak prides itself as the cultural beacon and jewel of the continent. Its landscape offers breathtaking views of expansive valleys and pristine mountain lakes. However, beneath this scenic beauty lies an authoritarian principality. Its people live under a refined system of surveillance where everyone is both observer and potential suspect, creating an atmosphere of pervasive and unconscious fear. The country is ruled by the Sovereign Mother, appointed by a council of women from the nation's most prestigious families. Especially notable is the Kimrans who has occupied the mother throne for three consecutive elections.
The populace of Mandrak comprises two distinct groups: the Mandians and the Draconians. The Mandians are religiously devoted—often perceived by outsiders as paranoid and delusional—while the Draconians are pragmatic, stoic, and well-organized. The wealth of metals in the region underpins its relative economic prosperity. Key cities in Mandrak include Indra, Bergûn, and the capital, Dráchmer.
Inspirational culture: Spanish/Latin American
Mandrak
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Hinside-Lôr
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Hinside-Lôr's mainland is largely an inhospitable and barren land, mostly consisting of barren steppes and scorching deserts. The Golden Isles, where much of the population now resides, are rich in natural resources and have a generally favorable climate for most vegetation. It is also on the Golden Isles that the capital and the nation's main centers of power are located.
The nation has long been portrayed as a vassal state to Mandrak, the dragon's extended arm in the west. This perception stems from the clear connection between the leading Kimran family in Mandrak's high council and the former royal family Elham in Hinsidé-Lôr, who ruled the country for the past twenty-three seven-year storms. However, this bond was broken when the Jaleh Rebellion culminated in a siege of the capital Andrinna in the year 1402 E.A., after which the Elham lineage died out on the hereditary side. It is worth noting that there are still blood descendants of the royal house in Mandrak.
Marriages between Mandians and Lôrians of higher birth have long been common, believed to have roots in the alliances forged before the Battle of the Great Dazzle, when Hinsidé-Lôr sent troops to support Mandrak.
Inspirational cultures: Arabic, Persian, Indian