2019.03.20 Maps: Central Tolka and Northern Tolka - AskolÂ
Central Tolka
Overview
Central Tolka is a regions of “in-betweens”. To the south lies the Empire of Sinpuri. A rich, centralized state with a highly efficient bureaucracy. To the north are the plains of the Tscho'So tribes. The countries and people of the region are in between these two poles. Some are living in urban centers of trade and commerce while others chose to live their life on the back of a horse.
This land is also a region of extremes. While the tropical west coast enjoys warm and humid winds blowing from the sea, the eastern part of the continent is a dry desert lying in the rain shadow of the central mountain range. The largest water source of the region is the inland lake Satjin, an important stop for every caravan trying to cross the Zareb desert.
Countries
A quick overview over the different states that can be found in the region.
The largest of these is the Empire of Sinpuri. Even though its northern border is far away from its heartland around the Almatay sea, the strong garrison of Metan Kan allows the rulers of Sinpuri to influence events in the region to their favor.
The Republic of Zareb is a union of the different city states located in, and around the Hazreb desert. The people of Zareb are very mercantile. They united mostly to protect their borders against incursions from the northern tribes and to organize the trade flowing trough their lands. This had the effect that the different cities kept their unique quirks and traditions. A traveller touring the lands will see a myriad of different religions, traditions and beliefs just going from one city to the next.
The Kingdom of Di Jin and the Kingdom of Di Ahmis. Once one realm, a succession dispute lead to the formation of these two sister kingdoms. While Di Jin is bigger and stronger one of these two, relations between them have remained peaceful as Di Jin profits from Di Ahmis strong and professional navy, while both states are also united in their defence against the Tscho'So tribes.
The Island Princes are a collection of various cities, tribes and states located on a island chain in the Gulf of Jamilris. The islands were once part of the same state as Di Jin and Di Ahmis but they used the chaos of the succession crisis to gain their independence. They alligned themselves with the Empire of Sonia. They became tributs of the Empire in exchange for protection against the eventual retaliation of an reformed kingdom.
Northern Tolka - Askol
This map shows the part of the world where Tolka (the continent on the left) and Askol (on the right) meet, and the two strongest factions bordering the small sea. While most parts of northern Helvai are only sparsely populated, the area around the small sea has a long and rich tradition. History Humans first arrived on Askol via a land bridge from Tolka (the remains of which are today known as Chain islands). The oldest settlements in Askol are small fishing villages established all around the small sea. During that time extensive trade between these villages kept both continents connected. Worsening environmental conditions later on pushed the first settlers on Askol, and their relatives in Tolka southwards and the connection was lost. Without contact both sides started to develop independent from each other. The people known as "Ano" were forced out from the steppes and forests of central Tolka by the emerging Tscho'so and Hazreb. The remaining tribes were forced to settle in the hills behind the Rute mountains but were largely left to their own devices afterwards. These tribes later on formed the Rumanje coalition, which in various forms has endured to this day. The Proto-Askir on the other side of the sea were heavily influenced by the other cultures that arrived on Askol in the following centuries. At first the Prot-Askir began to spread across the plains of todays Novo. Most of them stayed on the northern side of the Grad mountains, only a minority moving south, following the coast line.The people staying settling the plains became the Olevit, while those who reached the eastern coast of Askol became the sea-faring Nonilinger. While the second great migration had a strong influence on the Askir living south of the mountains, those remaining in the north were largely unaffected. Only the third big migration changed this. The invasion of the Soni Empire forced many of the different cultures of southern Askol to finally cross the Grad mountains into todays Novo. This influx of new people, customs and traditions was the catalyst of the emerging of the Novir. Even though both cultures evolved separately for a long time, their shared roots can still be found in ancient myths, old sayings and the odd word here or there. Present day The Republic of Novo is by far the biggest player in the north. Its massiv population of 80 million works hard to further the industrialization of their country. Its modern, while tiny, navy in conjunction with coastal batteries all over the chain islands is strong enough to prevent any threat to Novos western coast. The Rumanje coaltion on the other hand with its population of only 5 million is limited in its growth due to rough terrain, the lack of arable land and technology. While the Rute mountains protect the coalition from raids and invaders coming from the plains of western Tolka, it wouldn't stand a chance against a sea born invasion from Askol. Even though the Republic of Novo completely dwarfs the Rumanje Coalition in almost all metrics (population, military power, technology), relations between these two remain largely peaceful. Novos attention is most of the time focused on its large southern border and its neighbors. The coalition on the other hand doesnt pose a thread to Novo and the lack of resources makes it largely unattractive. In addition, a large portion of the coastal Novo feel a certain kin ship with their distant cousins across the small sea.Â
