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Description

A follow-up to Midgard: A Fantasy World Map .

  The nations of the world as of the onset of the First Great War presented in a glorious Equal Earth projection. See the other map for continents and major cultural regions, and go check out the rest of my idiocy while you're at it.

How to Define a Nation?

  Midgard at this time is home to numerous independent civilisations and societies with massive variation in technological progress. It can be claimed that science and technology are very much linked with cultural ideals and hence what a ‘nation’ means. For example at this time the Paneali Republic, arguably the most advanced political entity with fully industrialised infrastructure and rapid electrification, has fixed borders codified in law and respected by it’s similarly well developed neighbours. The kingdoms of Izz meanwhile have just about mastered bronze and their borders are much more a nebulous concept.

  So to summarise what makes a country a country, I’ve included a helpful guide! Aren’t I nice? Non-countries include places like Atmora, Fangorn Forest, Kamal, and the Terran Azores - all of which are not countries in their own unique special ways.

Empires, Monarchies, and Republics

  So the nations of Midgard can be placed into three not-so-neat categories. The twelve empires are those that are both ruled by a single hereditary monarch but encompass a large area with multiple ethnicities, cultures, and languages within it’s borders.

  The republics may be just as large as the empires, but their leaders are elected by the people in a *shudders* democratic vote. Disgusting, but it works. They are generally more stable than the empires, especially the Shire who are far too cute to oppress.

  Lastly we have the monarchies that make up the bulk of countries. These are ruled by a single monarch or some sort of council of leaders who makes most if not all the decisions. Of course, with 140 ‘monarchies’ there are going to be differences. The Six Kingdoms of Westeros has recently adopted an elective monarchy, but only the leaders of the great houses get a vote (probably fair, since the average citizen is illiterate). Morrowind is ruled by a council of great houses instead of a monarch, but the positions on that council are hereditary.

  The line between monarchy and empire may be hard to define. The Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor is, despite the name, an empire as Umbar and Rhûn are very different places than Gondor itself. The Six Kingdoms of Westeros meanwhile simply lack the linguistic diversity.

So How Did We Get Here? The Last 250 Years

  The main three fantasy franchises featured in the Midgard Project are Tolkien’s Legendarium, The Elder Scrolls, and A Song of Ice and Fire. This map is based in the year 4E 204 (Tamriel), FoA 218 (Middle-Earth/Western Ennor), and 311 AC (Westeros) - or rather, just after The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ended, a decade after A Song of Ice and Fire, and a couple centuries after The Lord of the Rings. Much has changed in recent decades, so let’s go back to the year 9865 CE by the Holocene calendar and explore each continent one by one.

  Western Ennor

  Back in 9865, the kingdom of Gondor stood alone as a powerful force in the region. At this time Rohan acted as a friendly neighbour, Erebor and Dale were emerging as prominent entities again following the death of the dragon Smaug, and the elves were doing what they’ve always been doing - slowly buggering off over the sea. The westlands have been in a state of perpectual decline however; Gondor had been kingless for thousands of years and the northern kingdom of Arnor had long since fallen, as had it’s successor states, leaving just the Shire (an insulated republic) and a handful of isolated towns such as Bree. And to make things worse from Gondor’s perspective, the ‘dark lord’ Sauron had recently returned to Mordor and had his sights on conquest.

  Thirty years later, Sauron had been defeated and Gondor had a king again. The Fourth Age began and things got better for the kingdom. Arnor was reestabished with King Elessar reigning over both. Umbar and Rhûn were both conquered by the burgeoning empire, the sole superpower in the West. Rohan and Dale were doing good.  The dwarves retook Moria and settled a new kingdom, Aglarond, in the caves behind Helm's Deep. The Shire got a bit bigger, incorporating Buckland and the West Downs into its borders. A few million orcs were massacred, but what's a handful of genocides between friends? Truely the Fourth Age of Middle-Earth was a paradise... right? Wrong.

There was now a rival power in the far north.

It was the year 9865 funnily enough when something momentous happened that transformed the Norse into a formidable force that could challenge Gondor's supremacy. Prior to this they were nought but a series of petty kingdoms subsisting on potatoes in a land that Gondor had long thought uninhabitable. But then, one night on a remote island in the cold and windy ocean of Belegaer, a fifteen year old Viking boy named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third shot down a night fury... and then befriended it.

Over the first fifty years of the Fourth Age, the dragons and Norse became inseparable and their blooming populations quickly crowded out their harsh homelands’ capacity to sustain them. And so in FoA 47 (9944 CE) the first Emperor of the Norse was elected to oversee a conquest. They invaded the remote British Isles, without much notice from the rest of Ennor. But it wasn't enough. A hundred years passed and the Norse took the empty lands of Lindon, and then resettled Forochel. That wasn't enough either. In FoA 183 (10,080 CE) a second emperor was elected for a much bigger prize. Eriador.

Not one to give up their lands, the Reunited Kingdom fought the Norsic Empire. They fought and they fought and they fought some more, and they well... lost. A lot. The Norse took everything north of the Shire and then agreed a wary peace. Both sides are gearing up for another war.

Eastern Ennor

Far beyond the Orocarni Mountains three great empires may be found: those of the cats of China who bend the earth at will, the horse-lords of the Mongolian steppes, and the vast northern lands held by Kamchatka. Their recent history has been dominated by the legacy of Terra and various conflicts with the fire inclined Japanese, which China eventually won, fuelling the rise of their empire. Meanwhile the Kamchatkan Empire, officially established in 9869 CE, underwent the same industrialisation that Terra had and took the entire north of the continent right up to the Atil River bordering Rhûn.

Mongolia and Kamchatka have had some scraps over territory, particularly in the Palisor-Omski region, but things are pretty peaceful now. This is because the Mongolians have horses, guns, and lands that the Kamchatkans don’t want while said Kamchatkans have tanks, artillery, and lots of it. Don’t mess with them.

Tamriel

If you’re here, I must assume you’ve played The Elder Scrolls at least once or twice so you know what’s up. It’s the Fourth Era now, the last 250 years covering the entire mainline franchise from Arena to Skyrim. The Septim Dynasty was toppled by Mehrunes Dagon in the Oblivion Crisis, various successions happened and what was left of the Cyrodilic Empire welcomed the Mede Dynasty. Morrowind was screwed over in the Red Year, and then invaded by lizards. The Aldmeri Dominion rose in the Summerset Isles, there was a war. Hammerfell became a republic, half of Skyrim tried and failed to secede, dragons reappeared, yada yada yada. Go browse the UESP for more.

Akavir

This isolated continent has had some very interesting developments since Uriel Septim V’s failed colonisation attempt. The Tsaesci, long the dominant of the four species that dwell there, have recently been pushed back to the coast by a coalition between the feline Ka Po’ Tun and the Tang Mo. The cats now have the run of the place, and the monkeys are doing pretty well for themselves too. Also in the last decade an expedition from Westeros, led by Arya Stark, has discovered them so there should be some interesting developments there. Speaking of which...

Westeros

Go read A Song of Ice and Fire (or at least browse their wiki) and if you must, go watch final season of Game of Thrones. That should about cover what’s happened here, if ol’ George wants to stick to a similar ending at least. Also there’s a big portal that goes to the dimension that Essos is housed in. Yay?

Terra

In 250 years, Terra went from a land of a single empire and some tribes to one of over twenty republics, the Paneali (‘pan-Ealia’) Republic being the first and foremost amongst them. This continent has seen great advances, with the industrial revolution and the beginnings of electrification. They have unparalleled military might, and have even just invented the first aeroplanes. Cool huh? If they wanted to, they could conquer the entire world. But they don’t, because what would be the point of that? The Paneali do hold several islands in the Belegaer and Pyandoneac oceans though, for trade purposes and totally not to harbour warships.

Other Lands

India and Siam are pretty cool places with lots of culture and history and stuff. The lizard-lands of Izz and Izzpi are doing alright too. Harad is underdeveloped, and has little incentive to do so. Aotearoa, Yokuda, and Pyandonea also exist, but no one cares.

What Happens Now?

So that’s Midgard as it stands today; a diverse world with no unifying attributes whatsoever. Well, they’d better buckle up their sphincters now folks, as a mad god and his armies are about to change everything. The First Great War has just begun.

Description

A follow-up to Midgard: A Fantasy World Map .

  The nations of the world as of the onset of the First Great War presented in a glorious Equal Earth projection. See the other map for continents and major cultural regions, and go check out the rest of my idiocy while you're at it.

How to Define a Nation?

  Midgard at this time is home to numerous independent civilisations and societies with massive variation in technological progress. It can be claimed that science and technology are very much linked with cultural ideals and hence what a ‘nation’ means. For example at this time the Paneali Republic, arguably the most advanced political entity with fully industrialised infrastructure and rapid electrification, has fixed borders codified in law and respected by it’s similarly well developed neighbours. The kingdoms of Izz meanwhile have just about mastered bronze and their borders are much more a nebulous concept.

  So to summarise what makes a country a country, I’ve included a helpful guide! Aren’t I nice? Non-countries include places like Atmora, Fangorn Forest, Kamal, and the Terran Azores - all of which are not countries in their own unique special ways.

Empires, Monarchies, and Republics

  So the nations of Midgard can be placed into three not-so-neat categories. The twelve empires are those that are both ruled by a single hereditary monarch but encompass a large area with multiple ethnicities, cultures, and languages within it’s borders.

  The republics may be just as large as the empires, but their leaders are elected by the people in a *shudders* democratic vote. Disgusting, but it works. They are generally more stable than the empires, especially the Shire who are far too cute to oppress.

  Lastly we have the monarchies that make up the bulk of countries. These are ruled by a single monarch or some sort of council of leaders who makes most if not all the decisions. Of course, with 140 ‘monarchies’ there are going to be differences. The Six Kingdoms of Westeros has recently adopted an elective monarchy, but only the leaders of the great houses get a vote (probably fair, since the average citizen is illiterate). Morrowind is ruled by a council of great houses instead of a monarch, but the positions on that council are hereditary.

  The line between monarchy and empire may be hard to define. The Reunited Kingdom of Gondor and Arnor is, despite the name, an empire as Umbar and Rhûn are very different places than Gondor itself. The Six Kingdoms of Westeros meanwhile simply lack the linguistic diversity.

So How Did We Get Here? The Last 250 Years

  The main three fantasy franchises featured in the Midgard Project are Tolkien’s Legendarium, The Elder Scrolls, and A Song of Ice and Fire. This map is based in the year 4E 204 (Tamriel), FoA 218 (Middle-Earth/Western Ennor), and 311 AC (Westeros) - or rather, just after The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ended, a decade after A Song of Ice and Fire, and a couple centuries after The Lord of the Rings. Much has changed in recent decades, so let’s go back to the year 9865 CE by the Holocene calendar and explore each continent one by one.

  Western Ennor

  Back in 9865, the kingdom of Gondor stood alone as a powerful force in the region. At this time Rohan acted as a friendly neighbour, Erebor and Dale were emerging as prominent entities again following the death of the dragon Smaug, and the elves were doing what they’ve always been doing - slowly buggering off over the sea. The westlands have been in a state of perpectual decline however; Gondor had been kingless for thousands of years and the northern kingdom of Arnor had long since fallen, as had it’s successor states, leaving just the Shire (an insulated republic) and a handful of isolated towns such as Bree. And to make things worse from Gondor’s perspective, the ‘dark lord’ Sauron had recently returned to Mordor and had his sights on conquest.

  Thirty years later, Sauron had been defeated and Gondor had a king again. The Fourth Age began and things got better for the kingdom. Arnor was reestabished with King Elessar reigning over both. Umbar and Rhûn were both conquered by the burgeoning empire, the sole superpower in the West. Rohan and Dale were doing good.  The dwarves retook Moria and settled a new kingdom, Aglarond, in the caves behind Helm's Deep. The Shire got a bit bigger, incorporating Buckland and the West Downs into its borders. A few million orcs were massacred, but what's a handful of genocides between friends? Truely the Fourth Age of Middle-Earth was a paradise... right? Wrong.

There was now a rival power in the far north.

It was the year 9865 funnily enough when something momentous happened that transformed the Norse into a formidable force that could challenge Gondor's supremacy. Prior to this they were nought but a series of petty kingdoms subsisting on potatoes in a land that Gondor had long thought uninhabitable. But then, one night on a remote island in the cold and windy ocean of Belegaer, a fifteen year old Viking boy named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third shot down a night fury... and then befriended it.

Over the first fifty years of the Fourth Age, the dragons and Norse became inseparable and their blooming populations quickly crowded out their harsh homelands’ capacity to sustain them. And so in FoA 47 (9944 CE) the first Emperor of the Norse was elected to oversee a conquest. They invaded the remote British Isles, without much notice from the rest of Ennor. But it wasn't enough. A hundred years passed and the Norse took the empty lands of Lindon, and then resettled Forochel. That wasn't enough either. In FoA 183 (10,080 CE) a second emperor was elected for a much bigger prize. Eriador.

Not one to give up their lands, the Reunited Kingdom fought the Norsic Empire. They fought and they fought and they fought some more, and they well... lost. A lot. The Norse took everything north of the Shire and then agreed a wary peace. Both sides are gearing up for another war.

Eastern Ennor

Far beyond the Orocarni Mountains three great empires may be found: those of the cats of China who bend the earth at will, the horse-lords of the Mongolian steppes, and the vast northern lands held by Kamchatka. Their recent history has been dominated by the legacy of Terra and various conflicts with the fire inclined Japanese, which China eventually won, fuelling the rise of their empire. Meanwhile the Kamchatkan Empire, officially established in 9869 CE, underwent the same industrialisation that Terra had and took the entire north of the continent right up to the Atil River bordering Rhûn.

Mongolia and Kamchatka have had some scraps over territory, particularly in the Palisor-Omski region, but things are pretty peaceful now. This is because the Mongolians have horses, guns, and lands that the Kamchatkans don’t want while said Kamchatkans have tanks, artillery, and lots of it. Don’t mess with them.

Tamriel

If you’re here, I must assume you’ve played The Elder Scrolls at least once or twice so you know what’s up. It’s the Fourth Era now, the last 250 years covering the entire mainline franchise from Arena to Skyrim. The Septim Dynasty was toppled by Mehrunes Dagon in the Oblivion Crisis, various successions happened and what was left of the Cyrodilic Empire welcomed the Mede Dynasty. Morrowind was screwed over in the Red Year, and then invaded by lizards. The Aldmeri Dominion rose in the Summerset Isles, there was a war. Hammerfell became a republic, half of Skyrim tried and failed to secede, dragons reappeared, yada yada yada. Go browse the UESP for more.

Akavir

This isolated continent has had some very interesting developments since Uriel Septim V’s failed colonisation attempt. The Tsaesci, long the dominant of the four species that dwell there, have recently been pushed back to the coast by a coalition between the feline Ka Po’ Tun and the Tang Mo. The cats now have the run of the place, and the monkeys are doing pretty well for themselves too. Also in the last decade an expedition from Westeros, led by Arya Stark, has discovered them so there should be some interesting developments there. Speaking of which...

Westeros

Go read A Song of Ice and Fire (or at least browse their wiki) and if you must, go watch final season of Game of Thrones. That should about cover what’s happened here, if ol’ George wants to stick to a similar ending at least. Also there’s a big portal that goes to the dimension that Essos is housed in. Yay?

Terra

In 250 years, Terra went from a land of a single empire and some tribes to one of over twenty republics, the Paneali (‘pan-Ealia’) Republic being the first and foremost amongst them. This continent has seen great advances, with the industrial revolution and the beginnings of electrification. They have unparalleled military might, and have even just invented the first aeroplanes. Cool huh? If they wanted to, they could conquer the entire world. But they don’t, because what would be the point of that? The Paneali do hold several islands in the Belegaer and Pyandoneac oceans though, for trade purposes and totally not to harbour warships.

Other Lands

India and Siam are pretty cool places with lots of culture and history and stuff. The lizard-lands of Izz and Izzpi are doing alright too. Harad is underdeveloped, and has little incentive to do so. Aotearoa, Yokuda, and Pyandonea also exist, but no one cares.

What Happens Now?

So that’s Midgard as it stands today; a diverse world with no unifying attributes whatsoever. Well, they’d better buckle up their sphincters now folks, as a mad god and his armies are about to change everything. The First Great War has just begun.