Expect updates to this as I have time to add more to it. Commentary is welcome.

Evash as a world is named after Vashen, the god of Earth. There are three major continents separated by oceans: Ithra, Ha Treen and Vinoa.

Ithra

Map of Ithra

Geographically, the continent is temperate, with warm summer and snowy winters. The elven lands are on a peninsula on the north end of the continent. Ever insular, despite fairly high integration, the elves have remained neutral in the recent wars among the humans. The dwarves live in the mountains to the south and west, and their distant relatives, the gnomes also live in the more hilly regions in this area. The southern end of the continent contains large numbers of orcs, goblins, and ogres, in the ancient remains of the lost City-states of Tirene, fallen ages ago to the warlike orcs. The now fallen Vannirite Dominion controlled much of the south and east portions of the world, while the Ithranian Empire controlled the west and north. The deserts and plains of the northeast are home to many nomadic tribes, and small principalities. The halfling homeland is northeast of this desert area, while kobolds and a few lizardfolk inhabit the mountains to the southwest of the desert. Despite their differences, the various races mingle more or less freely through most of the continent, thanks to centuries of efforts at integration on the part of the Empire and Dominion.

History and Politics:

The Ithranian Empire and the Vannirite Dominion have been at war for 180 years. 12 years ago, the Vannirite Dominion fell to the forces of the Empire. The Empire has, by and large been a good nation, the rulers benign and enlightened. Tyranny had long been the standard in the Dominion, and their attempts to subvert the Empire led to the start of this war. The war was costly in terms of lives and supplies, and the now-weakened Empire, while victorious, is unable to establish its sovereignty across the continent. Opportunistic warlords and nobles are reaching to grab up as much land as they can. Some support and offer allegiance to the Empire, while others seek independent rule, gaining power however they can. Three years ago, the Emperor was assassinated. The details are still unknown to the population at large, although it is known that the Warlord of the Empire, Melego, has claimed the regency. Rumors abound as to the culprits, from a faction within the Golden Hand to Quinn to Callista to The Warlord himself, or the young Emperor (now five years of age) Sarnon III's cousin, the Duke Morland.

The Emperor's grandfather, Durn IV, emperor at the time the Dominion fell, redistricted the Empire into fourteen provinces to include the former Dominion lands. Nine of the provinces are named after and ruled from each of the Great Cities. The other five provinces are 'homeland's for the non-human races nominally part of, or in treaty with, the Empire: The elves, drow, halflings, dwarves, and gnomes. Each race largely governs themselves. The orcs, goblins, and kobolds, while maintaining peaceful relations with the Empire, are not considered part of it. The other monstrous races are considered too disorganized to have anything resembling a national structure.

A representative from each of the provinces has a seat on the Imperial Council. Also sitting on the Council are: the five Thanes, the Imperial Magician, the High Priest(ess) of the Temple of All Gods, and the Chief of the Imperial Guard (formerly Warden of the Imperial City), The Emperor (or Empress) and his heir both sit on the council as well.

Each of the province representatives has one vote on the council, with the exceptions of Medro which has two votes. The Imperial Mage, The High Priest(ess) and the Chief of the Guard also each possess one vote. The Thanes only have one vote among the five of them, to prevent the military from gaining too much power in the council. This is traditionally given to the Grey Thane, who is Overlord to the other four. All five have a voice on the council, and the Grey Thane's vote can be delegated to another Thane if he is not capable of being at the council meeting. The Heir does not vote except in case of a tie. If the heir is underage, a representative chosen by the Emperor votes in his/her place. The Emperor does not vote, but, being the supreme leader that he is, has the final voice and the ability to overturn any ruling of the council. In meetings, the council members can each bring one person with them who is allowed a voice, but no vote.

Council members for the districts are determined as follows: Representatives from the homeland provinces are chosen by the leaders of their race. Medro's council holder is determined by Imperial appointment. The remaining eleven provinces' council members are determined by the voice of the council.

Each province is ruled by a governor. The governor may be on the Imperial Council, but generally those two offices are held by separate individuals. The position of governor is considered hereditary, but the Emperor/Empress has been known to depose an incompetent governor in favor of someone of greater merit. Internal matters are generally handled by the governor, unless either (s)he or the council representative petition for aid or advice.

Notable Factions:

The Iron Helm:
The Iron Helm was the elite guard and priesthood of the Dominion. Members of this organization enforced the laws of the Dominion, as well as acting as the elite shock troops of the Dominion’s military. Dark Arts were practiced among them, and many researched the darker aspects of Arcane Lore-- including summoning of demons and devils. Since the fall of the Dominion, many of their strongholds have been looted and burned, and the hierarchy of the organization is no more. Individual leaders still exist, and some small groups have banded together again, seeking to reestablish their grip in the south. The most notable of these is the self-proclaimed new Marshall of the Helm, the halfling Quinn. Quinn and his forces maintain a fortress north of Grutan.

The Golden Hand:
This group is essentially a banking organization. Headquartered in Medro, they maintain offices in all the major cities and several of the smaller townships in the world. They have a reputation for greed, but without them, the financial stature of the Empire would collapse. Rumor talks of a great treasure hoard of the Hand’s, but none has found it so far. They are the only faction to truly profit from the Great War between the Empire and the Dominion. Their leader, Morgan, has carved a small kingdom of his own just north of dwarf lands along the coast, much to the annoyance of the Imperial council, too stretched to deal with such a minor threat.

The Remnant:
Led by the Lady Callista, cousin and only surviving relative of the last Dominar, they seek to topple the Empire and restore the Dominion and its rule. This group is small and secretive thus far, seeking to avoid drawing Imperial attention to themselves.

The Five Armies:
Each one is designated by a color: Grey, Black, Blue, Red, and Green. The commander of each army is known as the Thane. The Grey Thane is the commander over all the Imperial forces, reporting directly to the Emperor. Traditionally, the Grey Thane has been a member of the Imperial line. The Gwyth, or Black Thane, is ostensibly the second highest ranking thane, mostly due to the respect that the Black Army receives. The other three Thanes are all equal in authority to each other.

The Blue Army is essentially the Navy for the Empire. They are headquartered in Elistarimal, the largest port city on Ithra. The members of the blue army are highly trained in seafaring, in siege weaponry (capable of ship-use), and in sword fighting. The uniform of the Blue army consists of a white shirt displaying the crest of the Blue Army, midnight blue pants, and boots of the same shade. Insignia of rank are displayed on the sides of the pants. The rankings of the Blue Army vary distinctly from those of the other four armies.

The Green Army contains more scouting and intelligence units than combat units. The spies of the Green Army are unequalled. More elves can be found in the Green Army than in any other, with the Blue Army being a close second. Many members of the Green Army are also skilled assassins. The Green Army moves its headquarters on a regular basis. Currently, they are situated in Perrow, with a secondary HQ in the small town of Ryga, situated along the Vannir mountains due to recent rumors about the Remnant. The uniform of the Green Army consists of Brown boots, dark green pants and shirt, with a brown tunic displaying the unit crest on the shoulder. Rank insignia are displayed above the crest. Green wide-brimmed hats are also part of the uniform, but worn only in foul weather. Intelligence members on special duty are often in ‘plain clothes’.

The Red Army is the main infantry force in the Empire. The soldiers are highly trained in the use of halberds and pikes, broadswords, and longbows. A soldier in the Red Army is capable of fighting with almost any weapon at hand. By far, this is the largest of the five armies. The uniform of the Red's consists of red shirt and tunic, grey pants and boots. The Red's crest is displayed on the helm, not the tunic. Rank is displayed on the sleeve. The Red army is loosely headquartered in Aldar, with a secondary headquarters in Medro, although they maintain large garrisons in each of the major cities of the Empire. They often help to bolster the local militia or city watch in times of crisis.

The Black Army is the Elite of the Imperial Forces. They are also usually the first to be sent into a conflict. Casualty rates in the Black Army are high. The black army has no crest. The uniform is an unbroken black from head to foot. Tunic, shirt, pants, and boots are all the same shade. Rank, in red, is displayed on the right shoulder. Many orcs and dwarves serve in this force. The Thane of the Black Army is referred to as the Gwyth, in remembrance of one of the first Thanes in this army. There are a mix of cavalry, infantry, scout, and various other units in the black army. The Black Army is headquartered in Nigren.

The Grey Army is largely known as a cavalry force, although they have plenty of infantry as well. The Grey Army is headquartered in Medro. Members of the Grey Army are some of the best swordsmen alive, but tend to fair poorly with other weapons, unless receiving some previous or personal training in another weapon. The uniform of the Grey Army consists of a white long-sleeved shirt, grey sleeveless tunic, black pants, and black boots. The army crest is worn as a pin on the left shoulder of the tunic, rank is displayed on the right shoulder.

Ranks for the four armies (the exception being blue) are as follows from lowest to highest.
Soldiers: Private, Private First Class, Lance-corporal.
Non-Commissioned Officers: Corporal, Sergeant, Master Sergeant, First Sergeant, Sergeant Major.
Officers: Lieutenant, Commander, Colonel, Captain, General, Marshall, Thane.

Ranks for the Blue Army are:
Soldiers: Private, Seaman, Seaman First Class
Non-Commissioned Officers: Corporal, Sergeant, Chief Sergeant, Corporal-Captain, Sergeant Major.
Officers: Lieutenant Commander, Major, Commander, Captain, Admiral, Commodore, Thane.

A Corporal Captain is the chief NCO of a ship, as a Captain is the chief officer of the ship.

Vlad's Union
Two years ago, a dryad, working for a man named Vlad, made contact with, and delivered ultimatums to, the thieves' guilds in each of the great cities. Many of the leaders of the individual guilds resisted, and turned up dead. Eventually the replacements agreed to acquiesce to his demands, and recognize the mysterious Vlad as the nominal head of a unified thieves' guild. This union is still in its infancy and not everyone has fallen in line with it. The bandit groups outside the cities in particular have yet to accept or acknowledge Vlad's overlordship.

Korsycan Pirates
Currently led by a man named Ryan, this group preys on all seafarers from Ha Treen to Grutan and from Elistarimal to Vinoa, and all along the coasts of Ithra. The group is based somewhere in the Korsycan Islands to the southwest of Ithra. The number of their vessels is unknown, but they comandeered a number of old Dominion warships in the final days of the war as the naval forces decided piracy was a better career path than continuing to fight a losing battle.

The Fourteen Provinces

Elven Homeland:
The Elves, in all their varieties except their cavern-dwelling cousins the drow, reside in this territory. The elves form small communities, each ruled by a community leader known as a Vashir. The Vashiri get together twice a year to discuss matters important to elves as a whole.

Drow Homeland:
Occupying the mountains east of Medro, the drow have been long-time members of the Empire. They also form small communities, although their leaders are the Darians. Each Dar manages his or her community independently of the others. Darians rarely get together to discuss things as a whole. Many drow have become merchants, trading across the northern portions of Ithra.

Medro:
The capital city and province of the Empire. This city is very large and prosperous. Training facilities for almost all classes can be found in this city, including a school/library for bards. All the standard Player Races can be found here as well, to one degree or another. Essentially, any organization or structure imaginable can be found within the walls of Medro. The governor of this province is Duke Morland.

Perrow:
Situated on the peninsula of the Sumaterian Lakes, this city is a large port and trade city for the Empire, trading with the smaller villages based around the lake and province, as well as with Elistarimal and Medro via the rivers that branch from the lake system. Perrow also maintains trade with the elves and drow. Humans, elves (including the drow), and half-elves make up the majority of this city’s and province's population, but other races are also evident.

Elistarimal:
This city is the largest port city in the world. It boasts the Great Lighthouse, and trading ships sail west to far off lands across the sea. Elistarimal is the jewel of the Empire. Traders of all kinds can be seen in its streets; even the foreign Vinoans maintain a small enclave in this city. Many magi have settled in this province, as the governors have long acknowledged the economic value of having magical users of all stripes living in their lands.

Gershon:
Another long-time city of the Empire. This city is mostly human in populace, although a fair number of Halflings live in this area. The province is the breadbasket of Ithra, containing the large and fertile fields extending for over a hundred miles inland. Caravans constantly travel through the city, taking food to the other great cities of the Empire, and to the armies occupying the fallen Dominion.

Nigren:
This city was originally part of the Dominion, and, being the border between the realms, was the first city taken by the Empire. This city had been retaken multiple times in the course of the war, and its inhabitants are war-weary and indigent. Since the end of the war, the nomadic tribes of humans and travelers from the more savage races, including kobolds, and goblins and even a few gnolls, have begun to visit and establish minimal trade with the inhabitants.

Halfling homeland: The halflings have elected mayoral leaders serving each community. When something affects a group of communities, those mayors will get together to resolve the problem, but there is no national halfling organization. Each town takes it in turn to select a representative for the Imperial council when required.

Hotha:
Situated in the gap between the Hotha and Vannir mountains, this city marks the border between the Dominion and the Halfling lands. The desert to its north is a favorite nest for thieves and raiders. Hotha is heavily fortified, and was never conquered by the Empire. It is a refuge for many who seek to escape the justice of the Empire, and many refugees from Vannir fled here after its fall. Mostly human, there is a large halfling population here as well. The Governor is Lord Caro, a high-ranking member of the Golden Hand.

Aldar:
Nominally part of the Dominion, Aldar maintained independent rule, and trafficked much with the Dwarves and Gnomes, as well as the Orcish tribes. There are quarters of the city set aside as Dwarven Territory, and Orcish Territory, but infighting does occur, given the racial tension between Orcs and Dwarves. Most Orcs don’t actually stay long in the city, as they are mostly traders who visit from time to time. Raiders also visit passing caravans frequently, to retreat back into hiding. The Empire conquered Aldar thirty years or so prior, and had tried to cut off all ties with the barbarous orcs, but their strength is thin after the war, and they have since ceased those attempts. This province is governed by Duke Ryloth, a high ranking member of the former Dominion who turned coat after the city had fallen, and has appeared to be a loyal Imperial vassal ever since. Rumors abound that Ryloth is playing his own games however, serving no one but himself.

Grutan: This city was the main port for the Dominion, trading often with the lands of Ha Treen far to the south across the ocean. While a bustling port, it doesn’t rival great Elistarimal. Members of all races generally can be seen in its streets, even minotaur, catfolk, and lizardfolk from the southern continent.

Vannir:
After the end of the war, Vannir was sacked and razed. The Army departed, and the citizens attempted to rebuild. Once the great capital of the Dominion, it is now the smallest of the great cities, smaller even than war-torn Nigren. The Iron Helm is reforming in this region, and may attempt to rebuild their headquarters in the near future. The Remnant is also rumored to be spreading its influence in this region. The Governor is Harson Reinhart, a high ranking member of the Red Army.

Dwarf Kingdoms:
The dwarves maintain their own autonomy, although they allied with the Empire during the war. There are eight kingdoms each with their own king. The High kingship passes from kingdom to kingdom with the death of each king.

Gnome homelands:
Ever progressive and thoughtful, the gnomes are, along with the halflings, the only people to have a representative governmental system, with local councils each selecting a member of the great council which addresses the interests of the gnome people as a whole.

Notable People on the continent of Ithra:

Sarnon III, Emperor
Stats: http://www.coyotecode.net/profiler/view.php?id=799
Only surviving child of the late Emperor Crypha IV. Sarnon was barely two years old when his father was assassinated. He's now five, and learning to rule under the guidance of his regent, although he's still little more than a symbol and figurehead due to his young age.

Melego, Regent and Warlord
Cousin to the late emperor, and a serious contender for the throne if young Sarnon should die without heir, Melego is also the Thane of the Grey Army. He's a good many, attempting to hold the Empire together against the forces dividing it, although rumors periodically surface that he had some part to play in the death of his cousin-- since he has profited by that turn of events. Still, despite the rumors, his primary motivations are the good of the Empire, and the intention to hand a unified land to his cousin's son when he comes of age. One of the most skilled soldiers in the land (level 30), his leadership was one of the primary reasons the Empire eventually won the war. He carries a black sword always at his side, even in the presence of the Emperor, despite protocol to the contrary.


(More to come.)