On the Shape and Nature of Our Land
Ofuin — jewel of the world, cradle of four great peoples, and silent witness to eight millennia of glory and ruin — lies broad as the eastern half of the southern continent, yet close-knit enough that war, trade, and rumor could traverse its breadth in the span of a season.
Our coasts are the handiwork of ancient upheaval: cliff-shores carved by the patient teeth of the sea, harbor-mouths shaped by earthquakes long since quieted, and island chains like beads scattered from the hand of a careless god.
Within, the bones of the land rise in old mountain ridges, weathered yet unbroken, sheltering valleys rich with loam or opening to plains where the wind has no master.
Each quarter of Ofuin bears a different face:
North — The Veilcrest Range, ever-shrouded in fog that clings at dawn to its jagged teeth, and the Windstep Plains, where amber grasses bend like surf beneath the ceaseless gales.
West — The Shattered Coast, a maze of fjords where cliffs plunge into deep-blue fury, and the Ember Isles, volcanic sentinels whose breath is steam and whose blood is molten stone.
South — The Red Basin, a land of crimson earth and mesas dry as bone, and the Ardent Hills, mineral-rich and gleaming in the sun's cruel gaze.
East — The Verdant Reaches, where dense forests, swollen rivers, and monsoon-fed marshlands make the land a mirror of the sky in flood season.
Heartland — The Meeting Plains, the neutral belly of Ofuin, where cultures mingled, markets bustled, and rival armies clashed under open sky.
The First Peoples and the Early Dawn(Before 0 AE)
The stories of our first centuries are drawn from legend and ruin, for no ink marked those years. Four peoples emerged, each in their quarter of the land:
The Frobic of the Verdant Reaches — river and marsh tribes, living by the rhythm of flood and drought, who practiced seasonal flood farming and venerated The Three Currents, spirits of Birth, Journey, and Rest.
The Usio of the Red Basin — nomads turned oasis dwellers, first to draw copper and gold from the Ardent Hills, worshippers of Orumen, the sun's golden disk, who believed the stars themselves were nails holding the sky aloft.
The Miwo of the Shattered Coast and Ember Isles — fishers, cliff-builders, and early mariners who gave offerings to Taharum, the dual god of Fire and Ocean.
The peoples of the Windstep Plains — scattered hunter-gatherers who would in time become the fierce and iron-willed Varnkai.
By the eve of the first recorded year, the Frobic tended their first longhouses, the Usio raised mud-brick walls about their oases, the Miwo carved dwellings from black basalt, and the northern plains still belonged to wind and hoof.
The Age of Settlement(0–500 AE)
Around 0 AE, the Miwo anchored themselves to the cliffs, building tiered cities above natural harbors.
By 200 AE, the Usio raised bronze-plated gates to guard their first fortified cities, water stewards channeling life through qanats beneath the red clay.
The Frobic, by 300 AE, forged river confederations, great longhouses rising as seats of judgment and feast.
In the north, by 450 AE, nomad war-leaders began binding scattered plainsfolk into loose federations — the seed of the Varnkai.
The Varnkai Ascendancy(500–1500 AE)
In 500 AE, the Varnkai emerged in full, iron-forgers beyond all rivals. From the Veilcrest foothills they drew ore and coal, fueling steam-foundries that birthed sky-smoke galleons — towering iron ships, each believed to house the spirit of past Ironlords. Their creed was carved into every prow: "The world resists — we conquer."
Their society ranked itself by the size of one's vessel:
Ironlords ruled from the largest ships.
Forgemasters tended the pulse of the fleet's mechanical hearts.
Crewfolk worked sea and foundry alike.
The Varnkai worshipped the Iron Current — progress as an unstoppable tide of steel and steam — and marked adulthood with the First Forge Rite, smelting an ingot unaided. Victories were met with Conquest Feasts, the clang of ceremonial hammers echoing across deck and dock.
From 550–700 AE, their ship-clans surged along north and west coasts, planting black-iron monoliths in conquered ports. The Miwo paid tribute but kept their fleets. In 720 AE, Varnkai raiding columns clashed with Usio chariots in the Red Basin.
By 800–1100 AE, their rule reached its height — their iron bled into Miwo ship-keels, Usio weaponry, and Frobic river barges. By 1200 AE, ambition faltered; clan rivalries bred rot in the keel.
The Twin Collapses1250 AE — The Fall of the Miwo
A chain of volcanic eruptions in the Ember Isles drowned the Miwo in ash and flood. Tsunamis shattered the Shattered Coast; cliff cities fell into the sea. The survivors were scattered inland or absorbed by Heartland towns. Their salt-cast idols sank forever beneath the tide.
1320 AE — The Fall of the Usio
Drought bled the Red Basin dry. Wadis cracked; canals lay empty. Wars for water broke their unity. Usio blood mingled with Heartland lines; others vanished into the desert. The Sun Towers went dark.
The Varnkai Stagnation and Departure(1500–8000 AE)
The Varnkai turned inward, tending their rusting monoliths, and letting ship size become a matter of pride rather than conquest. Steam cranes and chain-lifts still toiled, but not for new horizons.
Then came the Long Summons — from 7800 AE onward, fleets departed north, claiming a promised land across the ocean. By 8000 AE, the shipyards were silent. Some Varnkai blood remained, folded into noble houses, but the Ironlords were gone.
The Noble Era (After 8000 AE)
In their place rose the noble houses — each claiming descent from the Miwo mariners, Usio sun-kings, Frobic river-lords, or Varnkai ship-clans.
Ruins of the Ironlords stand as both shrine and quarry; obsidian Miwo carvings lie half-buried on coastal shelves; the white towers of Usio astronomy crumble under drifting sand.
On the Four Peoples in Detail(The following compiled from remaining oral traditions, architectural remains, and preserved scrolls.)
Varnkai — Lords of the Windstep Plains, Veilcrest Range, and Northern Coasts (500–8000 AE). Open plains for their herds; deep harbors for their galleons; foothills rich in iron and coal.
Arts of riveted iron and bronze bells; warfare of ironclads with rams and flame projectors.
Anvil-chanting kept time in their foundries; Pulse Cores beat in their monoliths.
Social Structure Ship-Clans:
Society ranked by the size and prestige of one's vessel; the largest "sky-smoke galleons" ruled over lesser fleets.
Ironlords: Captains of the great ships who held political and religious power.
Forgemasters: Engineers and artisans who maintained the pulsing mechanical cores that powered ships and monoliths.
Crewfolk: Commoners who served aboard ships or labored in the monolith foundries.
Belief System Philosophy:
"The world resists — we conquer." Resistance is seen as a test of worth.
Worship of the Iron Current — a metaphor for progress as an unstoppable tide of steel and steam.
The largest ships were believed to be living entities, housing the spirits of past Ironlords.
Customs & Traditions
Ship Naming: Vessels were given names at birth ceremonies involving the forging of a ceremonial prowplate.
First Forge Rite: Young Varnkai were deemed adults after smelting their first ingot without help.
Conquest Feasts: Victories were celebrated with massive public banquets aboard the largest ships, accompanied by the clang of ceremonial hammers.
Daily Life
Towns were clustered around foundries, shipyards, and monolith plazas. Meals were heavy on smoked meat, flatbreads, and thick beer brewed from windstep grain. Children learned both seamanship and metalwork from an early age.
Arts & Technology:
Black-iron architecture, riveted plates, and great bronze bells used for communication across plains.
Steam-driven cranes, chain-lifts, and automated hammers in their industrial complexes.
Musical tradition of rhythmic
"anvil chanting" — percussive work songs timed with hammer strikes.
Warfare Style: Armored marines wielding heavy boarding pikes and steam-assisted crossbows. Naval dominance through ironclads with rams and side-mounted flame projectors. On land, siege engines powered by steam and pulley systems.
Miwo — Masters of the Shattered Coast & Ember Isles (Before 0–1250 AE) Cliff cities in basalt, with rope bridges and oil-lamp festivals. Worshippers of Taharum, binding fire and sea.
Shipwrights without peer, their sails dyed in volcanic red, their harbors guarded by basalt sea gates.
Wars fought in light, fast ships, harpooners striking like storms.
Landscape & Environment
Sheer cliffs, basalt stacks, and fjords; volcanic isles with black sand beaches. Rich fishing grounds and fertile volcanic soil for coastal farming.
Social Structure
Harbormasters: Merchant-princes who controlled trade routes and fleets.
Stonewrights: Skilled masons who carved cliff dwellings and sea gates.
Fisher Clans: Families bound to certain stretches of coast or fishing grounds.
Island Farmers: Growers of sea-barley, root vegetables, and orchard fruits.
Belief System
Worship of Taharum, the dual god of Fire (creation, warmth, forge) and Ocean (life, travel, storms).
Earthquakes and eruptions were seen as divine trials; calm seas as blessings.
Customs & Traditions
Salt Casting: Tossing carved salt idols into the sea before voyages.
Night of the Glow: Annual lighting of cliffside oil lamps to honor Taharum's fire aspect.
The Tide Oath: Alliances sealed at low tide, so the returning water symbolically bound the agreement.
Daily Life
Families lived in multi-level cliffside houses carved from basalt, with rope bridges connecting terraces. Diet of fish, shellfish, seaweed, tubers, and fermented sea greens. Life revolved around tides, fishing seasons, and shipbuilding cycles.
Arts & Technology
Basalt sculpture, obsidian inlay, and sails dyed in bright volcanic reds and golds. Expert navigators using the stars and coastal landmarks. Advanced slipways and drydocks for rapid ship repair.
Warfare Style: Light, fast ships for coastal raids and blockade-running. Harpoon warfare at sea; stone-throwing ballistae mounted on decks. Coastal fortresses built into cliff faces, accessible only by sea.
Usio — Sun Kings of the Red Basin & Ardent Hills (Before 0–1320 AE)Desert cities wrapped in white walls; towers for astronomy and prestige. Worshippers of Orumen, their months measured in twelve rays of gold.
Warriors in lamellar bronze, archers in chariots, and caravans bound for salt flats at the world's heart.
Landscape & Environment
Red clay deserts, mesa plateaus, and scarce but powerful oases. Ardent Hills rich in copper and gold; salt flats in the desert heart.
Social Structure
Sun-Kings: Hereditary rulers claiming divine mandate from the sun god Orumen.
Water Stewards: Priests and engineers who oversaw qanats and irrigation rights.
Artisan Castes: Metalworkers, jewelers, and astronomers.
Desert Clans: Nomadic herders and caravaners.
Belief System
Worship of Orumen, the golden disk sun deity, keeper of time and fate. Twelve rays around Orumen represent the twelve months; the stars are "nails" holding the sky in place.
Customs & Traditions
Festival of First Rain: Welcoming the storm season with dances and offerings to cisterns.
Desert Pilgrimage: Once-in-a-lifetime journey to the Heart of the Sun salt flat.
Sun Crowning: New rulers crowned at dawn on the longest day of the year.
Daily Life
Whitewashed homes to reflect sunlight, shaded courtyards for cooling. Bread from desert grains, pomegranates, dates, lamb, and chickpeas. Social life centered around the oasis plaza and astronomy towers.
Arts & Technology
Filigree gold jewelry, polished bronze mirrors, and star charts. Advanced underground canals and irrigation basins. Desert caravans using specialized wide-hoofed camels.
Warfare Style: Light cavalry and fast-moving chariot archers. Bronze-inlaid lamellar armor; heat-adapted warfare tactics. Siege towers designed for dry, sandy terrain.
Frobic — River Lords of the Verdant Reaches (Before 0 AE–Present)Flood farmers, fishers, and marsh tacticians. Worshippers of The Three Currents, their longhouses sheltering generations.
Ambush fighters from reed canoes; artisans in carved wood and painted poles.
Landscape & Environment
Dense teak and fig forests, vast floodplains, and meandering rivers. Monsoons that swell rivers into vast seasonal lakes.
Social Structure
River-Lords: Chiefs who controlled stretches of river and commanded labor for levee and terrace building.
Longhouse Elders: Senior family members governing daily disputes.
Farmer-Clans: Extended families farming flood-beds.
Fisher Guilds: Controlling fishing stretches and reed-boat production.
Belief System
Worship of The Three Currents — spirits of Birth, Journey, and Rest, guiding the flow of life.
Cranes seen as messengers between worlds.
Customs & Traditions
River Baptism: Newborns bathed in the nearest river within three days of birth.
Longhouse Moots: Feasts where disputes were resolved collectively.
Craneflight Festival: Celebrating the annual migration of cranes.
Daily Life
Life synchronized with planting and flood cycles. Diet rich in rice, fish, taro, and fermented river greens. Longhouses housing multiple generations under one roof.
Arts & Technology
Intricate woodcarving, painted poles, and river-map tapestries. Raised farming beds, levee construction, and boat-making. Complex reed-and-wood scaffolding for building in marshland.
Warfare Style: River skirmishers using narrow canoes for surprise attacks.
Long spears, fishhook javelins, and bamboo shields. Ambush tactics from concealed marshland positions.
The Legends Miwo:
Kaia-of-the-First-Hull (c. 400 AE) — carved the first great warship from driftwood, never losing a crewman.
High Tide Veyron (c. 3200 AE) — pirate-king turned admiral, famed for "ghost fleets."
The Veilwalker — mariner of myth who sailed with the drowned to find hidden harbors.
Maru of the Seven Nets (c. 9000 AE) — inventor of collapsible nets, later revered as a village protector.
Usio
Sutahr the Stone-Eyed (c. 800 AE) — builder of Sun Towers.
Queen Erashira (c. 3100 AE) — warrior-queen who rode a sand-lizard to defeat Varnkai forces.
The Astronomer of Glass (c. 5600 AE) — vanished chasing a comet's path.
Bramu the Salt-Bearer (c. 11000 AE) — saved a city with the Great Salt Convoy.
Frobic
Hurn the River-Splitter (c. 200 AE) — diverted a river to save a city.
Lady Orphine of the Lilies (c. 2600 AE) — peacemaker through the Marriage of Waters.
Varr of the Thousand Spears (c. 6200 AE) — undefeated marsh general.
Tamru the Reed-Singer (c. 9500 AE) — composer of the River Epics.
Varnkai
Admiral-King Thorrvek "Ironwake" (c. 580 AE) — united the ship-clans.
Mornshak the Smith-Savant (c. 2000 AE) — creator of Pulse Cores.
The Black-Mast Prophet (c. 4200 AE) — foretold the Long Summons.
Captain Issrak of the Burning Wake (c. 7700 AE) — last great conqueror before the exodus.