Miyo's Notes on Veridia

For the Settlers of Drakonia botjam in The Workshop discord server!

Veridia: The Old World

So Veridia is basically your typical medieval fantasy world, except everyone just finished beating the shit out of each other about 80 years ago. The Council of Nations exists because nobody wants to go through that again, but honestly? They're still figuring it out as they go.

It's a proper dangerous world - there's monsters in the woods, bandits on the roads, and plenty of ancient ruins that'll kill you if you're not careful. The "safe" areas are only safe because people work really hard to keep them that way. Step outside the main cities and trade routes and you're rolling the dice.

Politically it's a mess. Everyone's got beef with everyone else from the wars, the big nations act like they own the place, and the smaller ones are constantly scheming. It's functional enough that trade happens and people don't starve, but it's not exactly stable.

That's why this whole Drakonia thing is such a big deal - it's literally the first thing they've all agreed on in decades. Plus it gets rid of all the troublemakers, fortune seekers, and people with "complicated pasts" in one go.


The Council of Nations

The Council of Nations is basically what happens when a bunch of countries get tired of constantly murdering each other and decide "maybe we should try talking instead?" It's only been around for like 80 years, and it's still figuring out how to tie its own shoes.

They meet up in this neutral city called Tyreale where everyone can argue without immediately stabbing each other. Getting anything done requires a ridiculous amount of bickering, backstabbing, and threats to rage-quit the whole thing. The big nations act like they run the place while the smaller ones team up to cause maximum chaos.

The whole Drakonia expedition is literally the first thing they've all agreed on without it turning into a three-month screaming match. Partly because it's a huge opportunity, partly because everyone's secretly hoping their enemies' best people will conveniently disappear through a magic portal. Win-win.


Regions and Countries

The Drakmoor Empire

(magic nerds, think they're hot shit)

The self-proclaimed "crown jewel of civilization," Drakmoor controls the largest chunk of fertile land and has the most advanced magical research facilities. They're the ones who figured out how to activate the portal to Drakonia, which they won't let anyone forget.

Their mages wear fancy robes, their nobles have ridiculous titles, and they genuinely believe they're doing everyone a favor by existing. Everyone else thinks they're pretentious assholes, but they've got the best libraries and the biggest armies, so people put up with it.

The Mareven Confederacy

(money-grubbing neutrals)

A loose alliance of port cities and trading houses that'll sell anything to anyone if the price is right. They don't give a shit about honor or ideology - just profit margins and trade routes. Officially neutral in most conflicts, but they're usually the ones funding both sides. Their diplomats are smooth talkers who could sell ice to frost giants, and their ledgers are more closely guarded than most nations' military secrets.

The Grimhold Clans

(cold angry boat people)

Northern warriors who live in a land of ice, mountains, and terrible weather that breeds terrible people. They're tough, pragmatic, and have zero patience for southern "softness." Known for their longships, their axes, and their tendency to solve diplomatic problems with violence. They respect strength above all else and think the Drakmoorians are pampered weaklings. The feeling is mutual.

Miraleth

(tree-dwelling know-it-alls)

Ancient elven kingdom hidden in massive forests where they've had centuries to perfect the art of being condescending. They view themselves as the keepers of "true" wisdom and culture, looking down on everyone else as crude children playing with forces they don't understand. Their cities are built into living trees, their magic is annoyingly elegant, and their diplomats speak in riddles that make you want to punch them.

Stormheart

(monster girl paradise with an ancient dragon)

A vast forest realm where demi-humans live in harmony under the protection of an ancient dragon who's probably older than civilization itself. Nobody fucks with them because nobody wants to explain to a millennia-old dragon why they're bothering her people. They're surprisingly chill and welcoming, which makes everyone else nervous because surely there's a catch, right? Right?

The Wildmark Territories

(kemonomimi getting stepped on by everyone)

Home to various animal eared folks - cat people, dog people, rabbit people, you name it. Caught between the Mareven Confederacy and Miraleth, both of whom claim to be "protecting" them while systematically exploiting their resources and undermining their independence. Only the Stormheart demi-humans actually give a damn about them, which really pisses off their supposed "allies."

Yakumo

(fantasy Japan with katanas and rice)

Island nation that spent centuries in isolation perfecting their culture of duty, loyalty, and really sharp swords. Recently opened up to limited trade, but they still think their way of doing things is superior to the mainland's constant political backstabbing. Their warriors follow strict codes, their artisans are obsessed with perfection, and their diplomats are polite to the point of being threatening.

The Hinterlands

(scrappy frontier survivors who don't give a fuck about politics)

Rural frontier communities that exist in the gaps between the "real" nations - places too remote, too poor, or too dangerous for anyone else to bother claiming. These are the people who carve out farms in monster-infested valleys, build towns on trade routes that go through bandit country, and generally survive by being too stubborn to die.

They don't have fancy magic or ancient traditions - just grit, practical skills, and a deep hatred of being told what to do by anyone wearing a crown. When the big nations want something from them, they usually just burn it down and move somewhere else.


Magic & Technology

Magic in Veridia is fairly common but follows medieval fantasy rules - think D&D rather than Harry Potter. Mages study for years to cast decent spells, most people know a few basic cantrips for daily life, and powerful magic requires rare components or serious training. Healing magic exists but isn't a perfect fix-all.

Technology is solidly medieval - water wheels, windmills, basic alchemy, that sort of thing. The most advanced stuff you'll see is maybe some magical enhancement of existing tech (enchanted forges, self-sharpening plows, etc.). No gunpowder, no printing presses, definitely no firearms. If your character has a weapon, it's gonna be pointy metal or magical pointy metal.

The portal to Drakonia is probably the most advanced magical achievement anyone's seen in centuries, and even the Drakmoorians barely understand how it works.


The Veridian Calendar

So everyone in Veridia uses the same calendar because the Drakmoor Empire basically forced it on everyone centuries ago. The month names all come from Old Drakian, which is that ancient scholarly language that mages still use for fancy magical research and formal documents.

The Twelve Months

  • Veletis (January) "New Paths"
  • Dralor (February) "Awakening"
  • Thys (March) "Growth"
  • Moriven (April) "Bloom"
  • Krenth (May) "Warmth"
  • Vasyr (June) "Abundance"
  • Halcor (July) "Height/Peak"
  • Gaelmund (August) "Harvest"
  • Nykhal (September) "Change"
  • Vortek (October) "Cold"
  • Zethrim (November) "Frost"
  • Kaloreth (December) "Sacred Time"

Current Date : 1st day of Thys, 81 CN (Council of Nations)

Years are counted from when the Council of Nations was founded. Before that, every kingdom had their own dating system, which is why historians spend half their time just figuring out when the hell anything actually happened.

Old documents are a nightmare of "the third year of King Whatever's reign" and "seven harvests after the Dragon's Passing" or whatever. Scholars hate it, but that's what they get for choosing to study the past.

Common Expression Ideas

  • "Bright as Moriven morning" - hopeful and beautiful, used mostly by people who haven't had their dreams crushed yet
  • "That'll happen in Nykhal" - sarcastic way of saying "never," since Nykhal is all about change
  • "A Vasyr promise" - an oath that's easy to keep, made during the abundant month when everything's going well
  • "Zethrim hospitality" - reluctant or cold welcome, because nobody's happy in frost season

Random Cultural Stuff

Different regions handle the calendar differently because of course they do:

  • Drakmoor holds elaborate magical ceremonies for each month transition
  • Grimhold mostly ignores the whole thing and tracks seasons by sea conditions like normal people
  • Miraleth keeps their own elven calendar that no one else understands
  • Yakumo uses both their Lunar calendar and Veridian dates for trade, because they're practical
  • The Hinterlands use whatever calendar keeps them alive
Edit

Pub: 27 Jun 2025 05:45 UTC

Edit: 15 Jul 2025 21:39 UTC

Views: 477