Illevar Nations - Part 2: Ocren
Ocren - The Wilderness Area of Illevar
Ocren is the name of an area in the northern region of Illevar comprised up of 4 smaller territories/states.
These states are: Festyae, Tochia, Kechea, and Draibar. All 4 states have a joint senate that cooperates with the Empire, located in a central area called Slovsa. All 4 states also have unique cultures, but share a common language and heritage.
Ocren is an area rich in natural resources, which makes up a majority of its trade. The natural beauty of Ocren is home to amazing animals, glowing trees, mountains, caves, rivers, etc. The major cities are far apart and small villages are rare along the routes traveled by brave adventurers, merchants, and bandits. Plenty of opportunities for Storytellers to create wilderness adventurers and surprise encounters on travels.
Ocren is also connected on one of the mountain ranges by the Empress Express; a luxury train line for the rich and noble of the nation. It connects Areston Station (Draibar), Bleakport Heights (Tochia), and Festyae Station (Festyae).
The States
Festyae: Festyae is the largest area of Ocren. It is mostly uninhabited forest and is home to the most fantastical beasts in Illevar. Although most of its villages are close to the mountain borders by Draibar and Tochia, the main capital is located at the Elder Tree, a towering tree that pierces the sky located closer to the end of Festayae territory and the ocean.
Leader: The leader of Festyae is a mysterious figure called Elder Mondragon who lives atop the great tree. Mondragon is not a name, but rather a title, given only to those who have traversed to the top of the great tree. A monumental feat as the tree is inhabited by many powerful beasts who call it home. Although there are several individuals with the title of Mondragon, only one is the Elder Mondragon.
Culture:
Festyaens are known for their colorful-garb, cheerful attitudes, and fantastical carnivals. Nomadic in life, most tend to be hunter-gatherer clans, though some have built long lasting villages.
Masked wrestling is a favorite pastime sport broadcast over the radio waves of Illevar. A combination of physical strength, magical abilities, and spectacle accompany the live matches. Think magical wire-fighting mixed with the extravagance of modern wrestling and explosions.
Goat racing is also a popular sport using some of the magical, mutant-beast goats of Festyae. (think Chocobo racing, but somehow more ridiculous.)
Notable Characters:
Elder Mondragon - Leader of Festyae
Juri Mondragon - Traveling Carnival Ringmaster, vampire though does not consume human blood
Willard and Maynard Drent - Former Luchador-esque wrestlers turned mayor and resident of Splinterville (a popular destination town for those close to Tochia and Draibar), old and retired.
Notable locations:
The Great Tree: capital city, built around caravans and shacks stacked on top of each other. Like the pirate town in Pirates of the Caribbean, but on land.
The Silent Woods: a massive expanse of woodland that seems overly dark and mysterious.
Leviathan Lake: The largest lake in Illevar. No one is sure what is at the bottom of the lake as it appears to be protected by a mysterious giant serpent.
Splinterville: Luchador town known for training some of the best wrestlers and showmen of the time.
Hornend: Goat racing city. Several tracks for racers and hotels. Gambling is big there.
Festyae station: Festyae end to the Empress Express.
Tochia: Tochia is the industrial state of Ocren. It is home to many factories, mines, and shipping industries. Its mountainous terrain and low valleys are home to several villages and towns. Each built around a certain trade or product. Located in the middle of Ocren, Tochia is the powerhouse of inter-Ocren trade and production. It is also home to the main weapons manufacturing companies for the Empires military.
Leader: Tochia is ruled by House Cinders and its leader Lord Cinders. The House controls most of the manufacturing companies, the Ocren militia, and several seats on the Ocren senate. The House is built from a very large family tree of nobles that engage in rituals around fire magic. The leader position, dubbed Lord Cinders, is determined by a magical artifact of living flame called Xern and a very dangerous ritual fight amongst those of Cinder blood. Xern was amassed from the remains of fire elementals that once inhabited the Tochia area during the Age of Gods, though no longer able to communicate with words, it does communicate by crowning the Lord Cinders with its mighty boon.
The current Lord Cinders is despised by the nobility of Tochia for being of common-blood. A bastard child that rose to become leader of Tochia. Though loved by the people, his every act to try to change the stubborn ways of his nation are thwarted by the nobles who control most of the laws of the area.
Culture:
Tochians are hard-working, industrial people. They take pride in their crafts and work, often shaping their entire families around a certain trade.
Villages and city life are common in Tochia, with more modern furnishings than those in Festyae or Kechea.
Fire is an important part of Tochian life as it fuels their economy.
Notable Characters:
Lord Cinders - Leader of Tochia. Current Lord is of commoner origin and rose through the trials to become Lord Cinders. He is actively trying to create better conditions for those who slave away in manufacturing or mining operations.
Alexandria Cinders - Owner and operator of the largest mining operation in Tochia.
Dewey Gettum - Owner of the detective agency “Dewey Gettum and Howe.” Former assassin turned detective. He and his partner are investigating a mysterious figure called, “The Hag.”
Stella Howe - Dewey’s partner and adopted daughter. The last remaining member of the Draibar Mafia family, Howe. Her family was killed by Dewey on the date of her birth and her relationship with him is strained at best. She does her best to help him solve cases and is helping with the pursuit of “The Hag.”
The Hag - A mysterious figure said to inhabit the town of Bleakport. Children have started disappearing and adults related to a burnt down orphanage have also turned up dead. It is rumored that this figure is tied to these events.
Notable locations:
Athurg: capital city. Metropolitan city.
The Great Furnace: a massive stronghold for House Cinders.
Bleakport: The largest port in all of Ocren. City is controlled by the more corrupt members of House Cinders. Has the Empress Express station.
Kechea: Kechea is a sparsely occupied hilly region nestled between Tochia, Draibar, and Brisfall. There are lots of hidden and abandoned mines and tunnels. The main cities of Kechea are isolated from the modern roads of Tochia and Draibar. Within the hills and the mist, there lies a society built around repentance. The ever-watchful gaze of the ruling family keeps the largest prison in all of Illevar.
The rulers of Kechea are born with magical eyes that petrify living things. The prisons that they run, these statue gardens, are the final resting place of many criminals. These macabre museums are often used to deter those who would break the laws of the Empire.
A large quarry that used to be essential to Kechea was annexed by Brisfall over 100 years ago to be transformed into an area called “The Pit.” The Pit is a massive government laboratory that was essential in finding the cure for the Great Plague around 50 years ago. It is a massive complex that is very well guarded and is shrouded in mystery.
Leader: House Gorgon rules Kechea. They are often seen in their elegant purple garb and veils that cover just their eyes. The current head, Warden Orichen, is trying to do their best to support their people in increasingly difficult times as Kechea is unable to compete with Tochia and Draibar’s economies.
Culture:
Kecheans are downtrodden in modern Illevar. Their economy is slumping and their only real resource left is managing massive prison grounds.
Villages are built around the grounds of one of the House Gorgon family homes/prison grounds.
Their culture is disappearing and is increasingly being replaced by Tochian and Empire cultures.
Notable Characters:
Warden Orichen - Head of House Gorgon. No one outside of the family has ever seen their face. They operate mysteriously and are of unknown gender/non-binary.
Driver Dahlia - Head of the prisoner transportation unit of the Empire.
Joan Jonass - a researcher into the history of Kechaen language and people.
Notable Locations:
Joham - the capital city. The largest prison garden is located here.
The Outer Hills - Overgrown hilly area where monsters are said to hide in the mists and claim the lives of would-be-adventurers.
The Pit - Government research center close to the border of Kechea and Brisfall. Former Kechean Marble Quarry. Was Annaxed by Brisfall around 100 years ago.
Draibar: Draibar is located in the valleys of two mountain ranges that create the border of Ocren and Brisfall. It is a massive trading area where goods from around the Empire come and go through its tight grip.Everything is rumored to be for sale in Draibar. From the finest feasts to the lowest of lives.
Draibar was once home to multiple mafia families that were fighting for power during the Great Plague, but eventually came under the control of Boss Salandra and her crime organization. House Salandra holds a very tight grip on the economy and public appearance of Draibar. All merchants are subject to strong tax laws and criminal activities are met with swift and brutal justice.
Draibar has had a very bloody history, and a recent one at that, but all is calm and well now, or so it seems. Small villages and a few massive cities dot the valley. Trade is plentiful and there is good money to be made assuming you follow all the rules…
Leader: Boss Ava Salandra is the ruler of Draibar. She was the winner in a bloody civil war in which multiple crime families tried to take control during the unrest that was the Great Plague. Salandra is known for her cold and often brutal demeanor. Her family controls most of Draibar with a few exceptions that had to be made for peaceful co-existence in the Empire.
Culture:
The people of Draibar are charismatic and excellent at bartering. They have access to a lot of the world’s goods and generally live peaceful lives.
Villages and cities are well organized and maintained by heavy tax laws and building codes.
People tend to be suspicious of others and often keep each other at a least a knife’s length away.
Notable people:
Boss Salandra - Ruler of Draibar. From poor slave to leader of a nation, she has had a very exciting and demanding life.
Alrand Salandra - the right-hand man to the Boss. He is cold, calculated, and efficient. He thinks of Boss Salandra like a mother, but keeps his emotions at bay.
General Rendlesheim - Empire General who has been placed in Draibar to help keep the Empire's hold in the area for trade purposes.
Dr. Carl Riveran - Engineer with a passion for history. Has been helping construct the tunnel system that will connect Draibar to the new airstrip being built in the Lowlands.
Notable locations:
Areston - Capital of Draibar and home to House Salandra.
Old Town - an abandoned city northwest of Areston. Claimed to be home to many strange squatters and drug users.
The Tunnels - a new series of tunnels being excavated in the mountain range to create easier passage for travelers and goods on Empire Airships.
The Gate - The area that leads from the Lowlands to Draibar.
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