The World of Mithia

So in an attempt to bring some clarity to the wider world of Mithia, now that my map is fully complete, I thought it would be a fun exercise to examine my map more closely, remark about the various regions of the world, and try to draw some generalizations from it all. So essentially, this is me looking at the world map, and inferring things about what societies would live in those areas based on the names I assigned it and the geography of the region. So in whatever case, I hope its enjoyable for you. You can just read it as it is, but it is quite dry. So it is perhaps best to read it while comparing it to the map. If you have any suggestions on ways to improve this analysis of cultures, please leave those comments below, as there is always room for improvement. However, without further ado, here is "The World of Mithia."

The World of Mithia

Written by Anthony Stuertzel

The world of Mithia is vast, indeed. It is often subdivided up into the Western World and the Eastern World. There is also the polar ice cap, but as far as anyone knows, there are no civilizations that inhabit such a place, and thus, it is often not mentioned in any significant detail in any of the writings by scholars, historians, or cartographers.

The Western World is comprised of five major continents. Of these continents, Arrotha is by far the most interesting. For not only is it the smallest recognized continent in Mithia, it is also arguably the most important. For the geographical location of Arrotha puts it right at the center of busy trading ports, and in many ways, Arrotha connects the rest of the world together. To bulster this important geographical position, Arrotha also has a very advantageous harbor, with two panisulas breaking off around a larger central island in the harbor, which has the effect of making one of the safest and most accessible ports in all of Mithia. Thus, the most prominent cities of men are all harbor cities, who thrive on the constant trade and further prosper by trading with cities in Arrotha that are more inland. Arrotha is also, due to its busy ports and opportunities for great wealth, one of the most diverse continents in the region. Nearly every race or civilization is represented there by at least a small margin.

South of Arrotha, and one of the many trading partners, is Etoloth, which is the next largest continent in Mithia. Etoloth’s harbors are not nearly as secured as those in Arortha, but the continent does have a sizeable island in the northwest to support decent harbors, and therefore is pretty successful in trade. However, these port cities in Etoloth do not have nearby sources of fresh water, and therefore, many of the citizens that live there rely on wells dug deep into the ground to supply fresh water. Although these port cities are often very wealthy in the northland of Etoloth, they do not tend to grow large in population because of this common problem. Even more so, alcohol is often the primary replacement for fresh drinking water in these northern Etoloth port cities, and so, thereto, the brathals and gambling rings are popular as well. These port cities are sometimes referred to as “Cities of Darker Gods” to explain their wild and unruly tendencies.

But all is not as crazy in Etoloth, as the continenent is also a place common to elves who inhabit the many forests of the land. The most notable group of elves is the Sel’Dar’il or “Golden Elves” to the common folk, so named after the bright hue of their skin. They are known for worshipping Chaleyr, the Goddess of Light, rather than the traditional God Marovihn who was said to have been the original creator of the elves. And they are known, too, for their industriousness. This is rather significant and important in Mithia, as most Elven artifacts in the world are centuries or millenia-old, made by people’s long-past. And the Sel’Dar’il elves are the most prominent elven group known for making modern artifacts which trade and sell throughout the land for tremendous sums.

Looking to the northern parts of the Western World, we see the next largest land-mass, Tailus, which due to its northern geographical position is the least populated continent in Mithia. The northern parts of the continent are often referred to as “The Winter Planes” because they are vast areas of flat land often covered in ice. A few nomadic tribes live here, most notably the “Barende Tribe” of barbarians who are seen wearing thick layers of fur clothing and often taking up temporary residence in the Snowcap Mountains or the Broken Peaks when in the north-most parts of the continent. However, they have been known to travel across the wide expanse of the Winter Planes chasing the local heards of yetis and other such creatures.

Tailus is also home to the Qi’l Szar Elves or the “Winter-Touched Elves” as the locals call them. Not much is known about the elves, as they live secluded lives in the wintery forests of The Winter Planes, but legends tell of them having strange magic, and their forests are rumored to be guarded by long-dead spirits who have risen as ice-covered zombies. Of course, not many can attest to how true these legends really are.

In the northwest region of the continent, there is a large forest that is home to the Zhel’Tara, a civilization that was once wholly made up of elves, but now has less than a quarter elf population. It is said by historians and scholars alike that dwarven refugees of the Darhgun family of dwarves fled their homelands in the north, the region now known as “The Broken Peaks” seeking refuge from dark creatures that emerged from the far depths of the earth. The elves took the dwarves in and incorporated them into their society, and soon, the forests were home to runaways of human societies as well. Then, to everyone’s surprise, the tolerant elves took in a tribe of orcs, and so on. Many across the lands that hear of Zhel’Tara don’t fully believe the stories to be true and dismiss the place as a fanciful legend, but many sailors, adventurers, and lost wanderes who have visited Zhel’Tara have professed the truth of the legends and described the population of the once-elven home as being the most diverse and surprising population in all of Mithia. Though it is hardly a desirable place to visit due to the overwhelmingly cold climate in this northern continent, many still dream of some day visiting the fabled land.

The cities of men that live in this frozen northland are generally unremarkable due to both the harsh climate and the lack of accessible ports. Most civilizations that live in this northern continent rely on fishing as their primary source of trade, as it is difficult to grow crops and populations are generally small in any of the cities, but in the same light, due to the lack of access to these resources, trade is paramount for survival as well.

Due south of Tailus and the western-most continent, we observe the next largest, and third-larges continent of all, Aeror. Like Arrotha, Aeror has a very safe harbor. Not only is the harbor closed off to the rest of the open seas, but also faces inward towards Straephus, the next largest continent, which we will soon discuss. Therefore, Aeror is a very popular destination for trade as well. However, Aeror has long mountain ranges that separate the north and south areas of the continent. The eastern region of the southern areas of the continent is home to the Gobi Desert, which is surrounded completely by large mountains on the western side. The Gobi Desert is scarecely populated and generally thought to be inhospitable, as its name is derived from the great carnivorous land worms that are rumored to spring out of the ground and devour unsuspecting victims whole. The only connection to the desert and the mainland that doesn’t require passage through thick mountains is a rocky pass, often referred to as “Bandit Pass” because of the persistent problem with bandits robbing carivans in that area.

South of the Gobi Desert, there is a crest of mountains known as the Nez’Dem Kel’Tar, named by elves in the Amrun Tel’Sir Forest. This region is rarely visited, as the journey to the forest is generally very difficult to traverse, and so the elves tend to be secluded. However, it is said to be the largest and most ancient elven homeland in all of Mithia.

To the west of the elven forests, there is the Westshore Andes, atop an island considered a part of Aeror, but nearly as large as Arrotha. This large island is home to several well-off cities due to the natural resources there, but fails to rise up to a greater standing due to its lack of significant port access. Most of the cities here are self-sufficient, requiring minimal trade.

The midland of Aeror is vast and rich with natural resources. This is a great expanse of human socities, with other nearby civilizations of non-human origin inhabiting the region as well. The northern reaches of Aeror are no less populated, and several clans of dwarves are said to live in the Dragon’s Den Peaks and trade with nearby human socieities. However, due to reports of dragon sightings in the area, few are willing to traverse the mountain peaks. It is rumored that perhaps the dwarves have somehow worked out a bargain with the dragons that inhabit the mountain, and that the breath of the mythic creatures aids in the construction of their fine dwarven weapons and armor.

The eastern-most continent of the Western World, and the second largest continent, is Straephus. This continent has a long range of mountains that breaks through the center of the continent much like Aeror, but the mountain ranges of Straephus are broken up and much more passable than those of Aeror. In the northwest mountains, known as Kinderriden Heights, several prominent societies, believed to be the central empire of giant-folk, reside in the mountains. Not much is known about these societies, as most tend to avoid the region entirely.

On the eastern side of the northern planes is Nagduhn, home of the Tymar clan of dwarves. The dwarves here are rumored to be taller than other dwarves and with strange dwarven accents that are difficult for most other dwarves to understand.

The planes of the northland of Straephus is home to many human civilizations that have grown along trade routes in the mainland. Aided by lakes and vast expanses of rivers, they have been able to grow quite large and proserpous in some areas.

Straephus is also home to several large jungles. The Kijadheer Jungle is known for complex tribal societies who worship strange gods. And the Chilal Jungle in located on an island to the south and is known by locals in the area as “Chiphua Kalul” meaning “Sea of Monkeys” in the tribal tongue of the native tribes there. And indeed, the jungle is rumored to have more different species of monkeys than anywhere in all of Mithia.

In the southern region of the midlands of Straephus is a desert known as the Mazacoatl Desert, which is so named because it is commonly reported that the desert is inhabited with strange horned snakes known as the Mazacoatl. Wizards are particularly interested in these creatures, as they are often reported to possess magic and are rumored to be distantly related to dragons, though there is much debate on the subject.

In the western midlands, there are several suitable ports, the most notable being Nenuldur, which is the largest dwarf-city port, inhabited by the Avrarlum dwarves of the Thol Lodar mountains, notable for their fiery red beards. These dwarves are considered the most social dwarves in all of Mithia and the most active in trade, and unlike most dwarves who worship Bhelrigg as the creator of dwarves, the Avrarlum dwarves have a complex pantheon of dwarf gods that according to their mythology, rose to prominensce and took Bhelrigg’s throne. Naturally, the Avrarlum dwarves have a rocky relationship with many other dwarven societies who view them as heratics. And thus, the Avrarlum dwarves have the best relationship with non-dwarf races of all the dwarf clans.

The southern reaches of Straephus are murky and wet, home to many swamps and bogs. The dwarves of the Derkahm mountains are said to be fierce warriors and have developed unique ways of dealing with trolls and other swampy creatures.

Finally, the largest continent, and the only continent in the Eastern World is Zabrun. Zabrun is notable because of its vast size and because it is the most isolated continent in the world. Zabrun trades with other continents frequently, but unlike the commerce between the Eastern World continents, trade with Zabrun is often slow, dangerous, and expensive. And therefore, only large merchant companies that can take on risky ventures dare treck the vast oceans, while smaller merchant companies prefer to trade locally.

Zabrun also lacks significant ports, and the safest ports in the continent are those located in the frozen northland. However, much like those that live in Tailus, the northland port cities are often scarecely inhabited due to the harsh weather conditions, and icy waters surrounding those port cities also presents challenges and dangers for those that wish to trade. Therefore, some prefer the port cities in the south or in the east, but these ports are not well-protected against the ocean and are not ideal port cities, either. Thus, inland trade is incredibly important for Zabrun.

As such, the kingdoms and empires created by men are constantly changing, as it is important to control critical junctures for trade. These changes come about by war, by agreement, or by devestation wrought by monsterous races that overtime can lead to the collapse of a under-defended city.

Zabrun is also home to wide-expanses of forests that house various races, as well as rather hospitable hilled vallies in the north, and large expanses of grassland on savanahs. The Kanguro Jungle to the south is notable for a wide array of mammals that aren’t found anywhere else in the world. The Dagh Faldir mountains in the northland are also home to a unique group of dwarves who seem to have an exceptional tollerance for cold weather from generations of working the frozen peaks.

Zabrun is also home to what is known as The Living Desert, which is seldom visited due to its lack of resources and useful land. However, those who have visited the desert have told stories of giant living cacti that inhabit the land, thus giving it the name The Living Desert.

Newest Updates in the World Map

Mithia is filled with echoes from the past. Sailors and bards alike travel the world in search of heroes, legends, and adventures. Though few of these travelers will ever be a part of their own adventure, every spectator to one of the exuberant stories of slaying dragons, escaping periless traps, or enearthing an ancient dungeon, undoubtedly fantasizes about being the brave knight that rushes into battle with sword and shield, or the powerful wizard who calls forth tremendous god-like power, or the cunning ranger who finds the way forward, or, perhaps, even the dasterdly rogue who accompanies the party of adventurers just for some extra coin.

Though the sea that separates the continents of Mithia were vast, and many cities spread so wide across the lands, these stories reached the ends of the earth nearly in the blink of an eye. For all the kings, the thieves, the wizards, and especially the common folk, were all fond of sharing the tales of recent conquests and ancient legends.

Arrotha is a rather small but important continent. For Arrotha was in the center of Aeror to the west and Straephus to the east. To the south was Etoloth and to the distant north was Tailus. Arrotha was a central hub for trade among sea-faring merchants, and that brought a lot of wealth and development to the land. In fact, only Zabrun, the largest continent in the eastern hemisphere did not trade directly with Arrotha.

So now that the geography of the world map is complete, I am slowly beginning to add in flavor and details to my world. You can see some of the sections that I have done on various world locations in the navigation section under "World of Mithia." I'm using some of my older maps as a guide, but I am adding in locations on the map only as they become more fleshed out, as having a bunch of cities on the map that are only a name and a location doesn't really add much to the world. So I'll try to continue to update this below to show where these things are more clearly. I think I am going to continue to stick to the dot/label strategy for labeling.

About the Dark Elves

Dark Elf or Drow

As my story develops, subtle changes take place that further differentiate my work from other sources, such as dungeons and dragons, that came before it. I feel like Wizard of the Coast's source books is a great place to start, but the more I build my world, and the more corners of my imagination are filled with insight and creativity, the more I start to realize that I benefit from making my own turns in writing. For example, in the original draft of my story, I had consulted the Monster Manual for various creatures that could be summoned by the two spellcasters Elrin and Rhalyf in the prologue. In the initial draft, I had decided that Rhalyf would summon a Siren.

However, in my rewrite of that same scene, I had decided on a much more unique creature, a

Llamhigyn, a creature from welsh folklore with the body of a frog, the wings of a bat, and a stinger for a tail. It was interesting to me because this creature does not, to my knowledge, exist in Dungeons and Dragons, and it was the first time in writing my story that I introduced a new type of creature that was wholly my own to manipulate, albeit being rooted in mythology.

That being said, I have recently began to think about my origins of the dark elves in my story. There is no doubt that there will be dark elves, as they have always been one of my favorite races. In the Forgotten Realms, they are a race of elves who have been perverted by Lloth, the Spider Queen, and have been driven under ground in the Underdark where they have mostly existed since, except in later years in the Forgotten Realms when there are reportedly entire civilizations of drow (the common name for dark elves) who live on the surface under the worship of Vhaeraun or Eilistraee, two lesser-worshiped drow deities.

Llamhigyn

 

Similarly, in my story, dark elves are also an uncommon sight, and also share a common origin to other surface elves, but I've recently decided that instead of sticking them in the Underdark, or Mithia's equivalent of the Underdark, I instead was going to make them a part of the world of shadows, known as Lustros. And the transition makes a lot of sense. Afterall, the way that the dark elves came about in my story is that they were swayed by Illindra after Euna tempted in her into the shadows. Euna, of course, was the Goddess born of the essence of Lustros, the shadow realm, which was created by Dyhias's negative emotions, which he separated from himself and made into it's own plane of existence. So with Illindra's connection to Euna and the shadow world, it only makes sense that Illindra, who seeks to pervert the creations of others, would use the shadow world as her catalyst. And thus, the dark elves of my story have been modified from those earlier editions that were based on the Forgotten Realms and are now something different and for logical reasons.

This makes it rare for dark elves to ever be seen Mithia, as most of them belong to another plane of existence entirely, one filled with shadows and demons, where the world itself is filled with dread and gloom, and where societies can merely survive against the dangers of evil that lurk there. Therefore, for the dark elves, magic is held in high esteem, and in that realm, they can call strongly upon the will of their goddess, but not as much in the world of Mithia where the calls are muddled by the distance of a separate plane of existence.

It turns out that this shadow world, Lustros, is going to have a much grander impact on the story as a whole, as it is also the source of Duzen's demon patron, and now also the source of the orcs' power that made them such a great threat to the dwarves that they needed to seek the aid of the elves in the first place. And so, everything becomes intertwined in a logical and believable manner.

In Order to get Bigger, You Must Simplify!

Continent of Arrotha in the World of Mithia

Here I am with another map update. So if you look at the map on the right here, you will probably notice that it looks incredibly similar to earlier renditions of this map, but with some major differences.

So what was happening as I was setting out to complete this world and fill it in was that I was discovering that 1) It takes an extremely long time to complete a full world map. 2) If you try to get super detailed with your map, you're going to run into a lot of very repetitive scenery and ultimately, it wouldn't do you a lot of good. So I decided that what I want to do is just to complete the main geographical features of the world map, and in order to do that, I had to pretty much start over with the old map.

So what you're seeing there, the more appropriately labeled Arrotha which is the continent in Mithia where the story takes place, in it's simplified form. I actually took everything down to the bare bones by hiding all of the essential layers like "land" and deleting literally everything else. Then, I very purposefully recreated the world with a more simplified look. So, for one, you will notice that there are not little trees on every square inch of the map. And the roads only show the major roads and no longer bother with minor roads at all. The goal is to keep everything... simple.

Also, I apologize that this is not a very high quality image. I converted just this part of the map into a pdf and then screenshot it. Hopefully when I'm done with the full map, I will be able to convince the software to let me produce a good-quality image for all of you.