World Map of Ayrul

World Map of Ayrul by Jaques Smit

Map of Azrea and Apour by Jaques Smit

Primordial deities from the Light Realm created Ayrul. These beings feed on souls. At some point in the distant past, they began cultivating souls by creating people capable of making choices and growing their potential. Souls who live in harmony with the world sustain a deity for longer than one that disrupts it. These souls become even more powerful when they make active decisions to live in harmony when they have potent reasons not to.

However, the value of cultivating life in this manner drew the Shadow Realm’s attention. Shadow demons, however, weren’t content with long-term cultivation projects. Instead, they harvested the followers of other deities in mass. Soon an inter-dimensional war broke out over ownership of the Natural Realm. In the end, the demons from the Shadow Realm were banished and locked behind the Darkveil, but the barrier only holds as long as the Light Realm deities also remain out of the Natural Realm.

To continue their cultivation of souls, these Light deities guided their followers to establish a connection with them through channelling point. Locations, also called Sun-touched, with a broad enough, permanent connection between the Light and Natural Realms, are rare.

Through this connection, deities grant their clergy stable access to the Weave and Life Force for Encoding spells. The range of these connections are limited, and many religious wars are fought over their control. The only such location, powerful enough to establish a persistent connection with a deity in Azrea, is the Holy Mountain in Kindra, controlled by the Cult of the Weave’s Five Ladies. Stillendam, while a powerful Sun-touched location, concentrates its power exclusively within its borders.

Humans were created by the god Sarghus on Apour and some humans have spread north to Azrea. With places of power under Sarghus' control, they humans converted to the Cult of the Weave that dominates the region. A further schism among the followers of Sarghus also occurred. In west Apour, Sargus is seen as a guiding hand and beacon to a fulfilling life, while in the east, his followers believe him to be an absolute divine power that dictates all aspects of life. This religions tension has led to numerous conflicts and see the rise of two major empires - Kurhan, defenders of Sarghus the Beacon, and Murapii, bearers of Sargus' divine right to rule.

Inspiration for Wild Lands

The frozen north of Azrea is known as the Wild Lands. There, life is brutal and unforgiving, yet the tenacious tribes of the Frost Wild (The three untamed gods Siphok, Nokkuwa and Ukthu) forge it around their nomadic communities. The most prominent races found there are the Ukthuun (orc), Nikkuni (goblin), Siphuun(ogre) and Bolgar (giant). They often wage war on each another, or raid the south lands. On rare occasions an influential leader has united the disparate tribes into a Wartide. A destructive force of nature that rolls over settlements and stripping the land bare.

Inspiration for Southern Azrea

In contrast to the northern tundra, the south of Azrea has relatively temperate weather with lush green grasslands and dense forests. This mountainous region is well settle by a range of human nations that coexist with stillari (elves), dawn (dwarves) and quintri (gnomes) who all engage in trade and sometimes war. The region belongs to the Cult of the Weave, the five ladies, Cos, Mag, Jor, Lot and Aeg. Their core philosophy revolves around balances. Not all five ladies are worshipped equally in each settlement. While most major cities strive to have temples dedicated to all five. Smaller towns often only have one, and some groups favor a particular Lady over the others.

Architectural Influence for Mura

Further South still, Apour and its monotheistic empires caught at locker heads. However, a recent, rare cessation of hostilities has not only surprised the world, but has many in Azrea worried as Murappi turns it's gaze north.