Ortim

“An island of stark, rugged beauty contrasted with vast and glittering cities. Whose people stand upon the shoulders of giants and bear in their hearts the flame of remembrance. The cradle of humanity surely represents the race it spawned in all their curious contradictions.”
— Daemon Errinin, The Realms of Man

Ortim
Geography
Full Name	The Tetrarchy of Ortim
Pronunciation	The TeT-Ra-R-K-Ey of Or-tim
Ruler	Siobhan O’Briannon IV
Government Style	Congressional Confederated Kingdoms
Area	226,658 square miles
Population	39 million
Races	Primarily Human, Venyra, Ferox & Nymphs
Language	Common, Dóchais(Teanga an Dóchais) & Xiangie
Religion	Philosophical Doctrine of the Ortimian Truth
Primary Focus	Opposition to the Dwarven Empire, Protection of Aesoxian Nations from outside invasion, and Merchant Trade

Overview

Ortim - the cradle of humanity, the forgotten home and the united island - is most widely known for being the birthplace of humankind. It is located to the far North-West of Aesox and is believed to be the largest single island on Pannotia. Ortim is home to the Tetrarchy of Ortim, a unified human nation that has existed in isolation since its birth. In modern times Ortim has begun to “Awaken” and is looking to play a larger role in global politics, particularly when it comes to opposing any and all interests of the Dwarven Empire.

History

Pre-Equilibrium Period

Pre-Equilibrium, Ortim was - to put it simply - a mess. Hundreds of human tribes/kingdoms/peoples roamed the island or claimed swathes of it, warring, merging and splitting on a year to year basis. It was during this early period that ideas such as Feudalism, the Clan System and many other philosopher and government forms were born, There are very few surviving and whole written accounts of this period, for writings and records were often destroyed by the various conflicts of the time; though countless ruins and artefacts from this time period persist, painting the fragmented picture we have today.

The Great Equilibrium

The Great Equilibrium rocked Ortim as it did every other part of the world however its effects were slower to manifest, this was in part thanks to the distance and relative isolation of the island and partly because of the quick establishment of the Order of the Verdigris. In 10AE storms bracketed Ortim and a mixture of monsters and cursed individuals began to appear to terrorize the populace, this led to the establishment of the Verdigris Order.

With the island in chaos the Order was a shining beacon of light during those dark days, its efforts were recognized by nearly all kingdoms and peoples of the island who came to rely on them to keep order and law wherever they roamed and to combat the fell creatures who plagued the birthplace of humanity.

By 50AE it seemed the end was drawing near: harvests failed, the skies were sickly some days, the lands were choked in thick strangling fogs and elsewhere barren grey clouds covered the sun. At night the stars seemed to have vanished and monsters out of myth emerged to terrorize the populace, terrifying creatures washed ashore in droves, mostly dead and signs of nature and magic collapsing came seemingly out of nowhere.

Order began to sharply decline as Kingdoms fractured back into tribes and cities crumbled from disease or infighting. The Verdigris Order saw some of its darkest days during this period in fact some say it was the founder and first High Custodian Aedan Varinhold who first laid the seed of the idea that would lead to the Great Migration.

The Great Migration

Starting fifty one years after the end of the Great Equilibrium came the Great Migration, which was a seismic shift not just for the human race and the island of Ortim but for Pannotia as a whole. Humans had always been an inquisitive and adventurous race, with adaptability being one of their greatest strengths. The Great Migration is where they proved that reputation.

With the turmoil of the Equilibrium still playing out on Ortim’s shores, the cracks in Ortim based societies were expanding and in some places causing collapse. However, as the seas began to calm somewhat, trade in Pannotia once again began to flourish, and with it, exploration. A young trader by the name of Myranda, said to embody all that it meant to be Human - optimistic and fearless, with a love of danger and a thirst for the unknown. She took her crew and sailed off in hopes of finding a new route to Ellawren so that the humans could trade with the great Elven nation more efficiently. Legend has it she also sought knowledge on how to combat the magical monstrosities and curses that had begun to plague Ortim.

During her journey into the unknown, Myranda encountered many challenges. A storm blew her ship completely off course and a monster from the depths harried her further to the south, however through this hardship something wondrous would come.

It was when the storm finally let up, and the monster at last relented, that Myranda and her crew sighted the continent that would come to be known as Aesox. When they made landfall they found a land of plenty, that was for the most part uninhabited by sentient life.

Myranda immediately realized that she had stumbled upon exactly what her people needed. Ortim was a rugged and wild place, far too small to house human ambition and their tribal peoples' penchant for splitting and warring.

She loaded her ship with nature's bounty and thanked her past self for meticulously charting their route to the best of her ability. Using the stars and her charts to navigate she and her crew eventually made it back to The Haven.

When Myranda returned she earned herself a new name, Swift-Sail. Over the remainder of her life she would make eight more so-called great voyages to Aesox, bringing disparate peoples and tribes on the brink of extinction to the new land, and on her last of these voyages she burned her ship upon the shore of Aesox to symbolise her confidence that this place would be a new home for humanity.

What was to follow was an explosion of migration, whole tribes, villages, towns, cities and even kingdoms packing up, building ships and sailing off to the uncrowded continent that was Aesox, under the guidance and protection of the Verdigris Order - leaving Ortim, which was once vastly overpopulated, to actually become rather barren and empty. When all was said and done, after 200 years of migration in the year 250AE, only six tribes remained on Ortim having absorbed or driven out all their competitors.

The Warring States

With the Great Migration coming to a close six major tribes remained on Ortim. As time passed, one of these tribes faded into obscurity, their history and fate lost to the annals of time and the brutality of the age. By the year 400AE, the remaining five tribes had united into the 4 kingdoms of Ortim.

The four kingdoms lived in a tense political balance. They were near-constantly at one another’s throats vying for dominance of the island, and yet none of them could ever achieve it. The Warring States period is called such for the fact that each of the kingdoms was constantly fighting each other in border wars, skirmishes and raiding, yet none could ever conquer the others, as the resources required for a full conquest would leave them vulnerable to the other two.

The Kingdoms of the Warring States Period:

• The Kingdom of Aldrahara who had control over the western coasts rugged fjords and plains, composed of the Aldrahil people, were the last of the great Ortimian mariners. They maintained small harbours that were shielded from the elements and Dwarven raiders inside fjords and upon river deltas often protected by large harbour chains, whilst the rest of their population were mostly agrarian in nature. Their capital Awa-Wairua stretched between the two banks of the spirit river. Their warriors were known for fighting with either axes and short pikes with rectangular shields or with short bows due to their maritime heritage the use of anything other than light scout archer cavalry was unheard of as they were not a mounted people.

• The Kingdom of Birtharos who had control over the Northern plains and hills, composed of the Biralo-Tharon people, the unified peoples of the Biralonian and Tharoarath tribes. They were a hardy and blunt people who had the most martial culture of the Ortimian people. They had only three major cities but made up for it with their large townships and vast rural population who were mostly shepherds, herders and farmers. Their capital Aachenburg was situated on five great hills which a river flowed between. Their warriors were known for fighting either in shieldwalls with spears, massed groups of longbow wielders or on horseback with lances and swords mostly composed of knights.

• The Kingdom of Nimrahu who had control over the Southern riverlands and the mighty central peaks, composed of the Nimrahil people. They were and are the most populace of the peoples of Ortim however suffered from much internal strife that didn’t often allow them to gain from the advantage they had thanks to their fertile farming lands. Their population was mostly agrarian in nature and had a reputation for holding grudges and being the most mercantile culture of the Ortimian people. They had the most cities and control over the Old Haven-Harbour. Their capital Yunshan was situated in a large valley below the great central mountain range with a large waterfall just behind the royal palace which supplied the city with water. Their warriors were known for fighting with either swords and spears in lockstep formation with large tower shields, with vast groups of crossbows wielding the same large tower shields or on horseback with swords and maces.

• The Kingdom of Suaimhnis who had control over the Eastern coasts vast forests and valleys, composed of the Tuatha de Dóchas people, they were the hardy foresters and stewards of the old ways.hey were a hardy and melancholic people who still claim to be the oldest of the human cultures. Their population was a mix of agrarian and craftspeople, they had the most rural population with only one true city. Their capital Tir-Eyrn was situated on a hill beside the black river, it was heavily fortified due to its location near the borders of two other kingdoms and features one of the oldest and most intricate human made castles in Pannotia. Their warriors were known for fighting with either maces, swords and pikes in small formations, with large groups of skirmishers who fought with slings and javelins or on horseback with javelins and maces, they were notorious for their hit and run tactics.

These kingdoms spent the better part of 800 years warring over the island with each claiming to be the rightful rulers of Ortim. Each of these kingdoms was ruled via the feudal system featuring Royal Sovereigns taking the role of absolute monarchs, nobles taking the roles of lords, ladies, counts, countesses and more, burghers conducting trade and being the craftspeople and the lower class the peasants being held under the system of serfdom. Of course during this period trade still took place despite the hostility between the kingdoms, the wood of Suaimhnis, the wool of Birtharos, the metal of Nimrahu and the rope and salt of Aldrahara were all present and traded between each kingdom when periods of peace allowed. Yet there was always hostility and conflict.

In fact, the only time any of the kingdoms saw eye to eye over the centuries that comprise the Warring States Period was the occasions when they would band together to see off dwarven slave raids. Though the raids were common during the time, and most kingdoms fended them off on their own, at least once every century so-called “great raids” were launched. During these great raids, the kingdoms of Ortim would put aside their mutual enmity and unite to face off against the ancient enemy. And it was the last of these great raids in 1215 AE that would lead to the bloodiest battle in the history of the island: the Battle of the Ald Wood.

In the month of February 1215 AE, the Dwarven Empire launched its largest ever raid on the Kingdom of Suaimhnis. The likes of this raid had never been seen before as tens of thousands of dwarven slavers with hordes of slave soldiers landed upon the shores of the kingdom and tore through it. Alarms were sounded throughout the island, and the other three kingdoms mustered great hosts to come to their neighbors’ aid. Surviving records show that the Dwarven Empire that had been thrown out of Aesox some four hundred years previous was looking to conquer the island in its entirety, some records claim this was so as to have a new breadbasket and slave producing region for their Empire whilst others posit the notion that this was part of a grander strategy to use Ortim as a way to take control of Aesox. Yet whatever the reason for the Dwarves invading the kingdoms would rally together and assemble.

The reason for this great assembly of arms is much disputed - modern thinkers of the Tetrarchy posit that it was a shared sense of kinship and brotherhood that brought the great host together, whilst those of Aesox believe it was brought together to halt mutual annihilation at the hands of the Dwarven invaders. Whatever the reason, the four kingdoms formed a great host and met their Dwarven enemies on the edge of the Ald Wood in March of 1215 AE.

The Great Battle would begin as the Dwarven host, bolstered by slave auxiliaries and human mercenaries and brigands emerged from the woods, following the great old forest road to be met with the host of Ortim arrayed before them, the dwarves quickly formed into battle formation and advances with the Dwarven general of the host being quoted as saying “The lambs have come willingly to the slaughter, how considerate.” The Dwarven host would advance, determined to crush the might of Ortim there and then.

The Ortimian Host un-shaken and baying for blood would meet the Dwarves, man to dwarf. The center made up of great Birtharian shield-walls and Nimrahuian formations would grind the Dwarven forces for hours whilst their archers and crossbows volleyed overhead, the flanks held by the Aldraharan infantry were hard pressed and only reinforcements from the Birtharian Knights on the right and Nimrahuian free riders kept them from collapsing. The battle would continue like this for the whole day and when night came and the armies were tired they retired from the field, the Ortimians holding their defensive position whilst the Dwarven host retreated to camp in the Ald Wood determined to smash their foes on the morrow.

But rest would be hard for the Dwarven Host as in the wee hours of the morning Tuathe de Dóchas skirmishers and warriors, using their vast and ancient knowledge of the Ald Wood would attack during the night, burning Dwarven supplies, slaughtering warriors in their sleep, encouraging enslaved soldiers and servants to rise and bringing a kind of ruthless brutality expected of the people who had been the first target of the Dwarven invaders.

The battle would play out this way as for two days the Dwarves, tired from their nightly torment, would attempt to break the great host of Ortim. Yet the host held firm and on the morning of the fourth day the Dwarves sallied from their, now fortified, camp having finally enjoyed a good night's rest were shocked to see the warriors of Suaimhais arrayed with their kin, battered, bloodied and de-moralised from their nightly torment the Dwarven host was finally broken by the fully united might of Ortim, when the Dwarves after only four hours tried to abandon the field and retreat they were pursued relentlessly. A running battle ensued as Ortimian warriors hunted the remnants of the routing Dwarven host. No dwarf would escape, no alley of theirs walked free save those brought to Ortim enslaved, the fury of the Ortimian people was palpable particularly in the Tuathe de Dóchas who were reported to cut open hang any and all dwarf or mercenary whom they could find by their own guts from the Great Ortimian Oaks of the ald wood.

Many great heroes fought in the battle, their legends and memories remaining to this day in the tales of Ortim, much was sacrificed and many lay dead on both sides, yet victory was at hand for the children of Ortim. At the end of the battle the four sovereigns of the kingdoms, bloodied and tired from the multi-day battle and ensuing scouring of the woods met and signed a treaty of mutual peace, and drew to a close the Warring States period.

The Romance

The Romance period followed the Warring States period, and as we discuss it, we must first dispel a widely-held belief about the Romance Period. While it was certainly a time of detente and great leaps in science and art, it was not without its conflicts. Many raids and skirmishes still happened, though full wars were always avoided. These raids and skirmishes were mostly fought between rival nobles either within kingdoms or on opposing borders. However no great conflicts or wars on kingdom wide scales ever came to be, as just as they were brewing the Sovereigns always stepped in.

Thanks to this fact science and innovation as well as the arts flourished, many great leaps were made in the building of cities, economic theory, the manufacture of goods and the understanding of the workings of Pannotia. It is also thanks to this period that we have many of the great poets, sculptors and philosophers of the age, as thanks to the relatively stable peace they were able to put their passion into their arts and create wonders of the era. Science and Art flourished, while all the Kingdoms kept their blades sharp and ready they were not aimed at one another, no they were waiting for the return of what they would name the Great Enemy, the Dwarven Empire.

Despite deep wounds from the warring states period, a lot of trade developed, and indeed flourished, between the kingdoms which led to more people travelling and interacting as well as inevitably intermingling. This could be seen from the lowliest merchant to even the royal houses who began to intermarry with not just each other but also with foreign noble houses; something mostly unheard of in ages past.

It was during the Romance Period that the kingdoms would also begin to cooperate more with each other, sharing various ideas and art, indeed they were even known to send aid to each other in times of hardship such as when a great plague struck Nimrahu or when harsh storms ravaged the coast of Suamhais, it was a time of art, of cooperation and indeed a time of romance.

The Congress

Thanks to four centuries of peace, in the year 1615 AE the sovereigns of each of the four kingdoms of Ortim met in a small nameless village on the bay of endeavours in Suamhais land. Over the course of a week the sovereigns hunted, feasted and spoke at length on the future of their island, they spoke of the mutual peace treaty that had been signed by their forebears and by the end of the week they had all become mighty friends.

The fact that by this point all of the sovereigns were somewhat related of course helped this fact massively, and at week's end they had signed a series of treaties, covering mutual defense, freedom of travel and currency weight as well as value standardization.

The village was decreed New Haven and declared to be a shared place where all four kingdoms held jurisdiction, and the final declaration was the Congress. The Congress was the name given to the system by which the four kingdoms would send nobles to New Haven to work on building it up and furthering mutual cooperation.

During this time the foundations were laid for a theoretical united Ortim, ideas such as how a government would function, the rights and protections of each of the peoples, the organizations of the various provinces and territories being combined and so on.

This period would last for 145 years, and during that time the kingdoms would grow closer and closer together, at last coming to a close in 1760 ae.

The Confederation

In January of 1760 ae, the sovereigns of the four kingdoms would once more meet in New Haven which had by this point grown into a bustling trade city remarkable for being nearly entirely built out of white marble and black basalt and famous around the world for its many fountains. They met at the Congressional Hall, a huge domed building built in the contemporary Ortimian style of large basalt domes with marble spires surrounding.

It was on the steps of this newly built and christened golden congressional hall that they jointly announced the dissolution of their individual kingdoms and the formation of a federation that would encompass the whole island of Ortim. They announced the Tetrarchy, a system of government by which all peoples would have a voice and representation. They disbanded all noble armies and decreed the formation of the Combined Armies of Ortim, and finally they decreed that all Burghers and Peasants would be equals, all nobles would be equals and that they would be together equals united in the nation that would be and is Ortim.

The first Royarch (The title given to one sovereign every five years, placing them in charge of the nation's foreign policy) was Caoimhe O'Briannoch, Queen of Suaimhnis. She would have the difficult task of bringing this new nation's birth to the world stage. Many in Aesox were shaken by this unification, realising Ortim had the potential to become a major power on the global stage, however nothing was done thanks to the first Royarch’s political manoeuvring both at home and abroad.

There were of course problems with integration during this time, though given the centuries long peace between the kingdoms most of it was merely blustering and was quickly quashed by the sovereigns. In fact, most of it came from the nobility, who were upset at being stripped of their armies and what many of them saw as an erosion of their ancient rights. Thankfully however, this never boiled over and was largely swept under the rug.

It was during this period that Ortim would begin to experience major maritime trade once more. Maritime trade was a dangerous thing during the warring states period, and naval investments were often shunned due to the history of the great migration. Tetrarchy ships took to the seas, forming and then maintaining trade relationships with both the elven Cerulean Conclave and nations of Ellawren and then the Aesoxian Kingdoms and Kingdom of Galudon. However, one nation which was universally shunned by the island was the Dwarven Empire. No trade would ever be conducted between the two, and Dwarves were completely banned from setting foot on Ortim under pain of death.

It is in fact theorized that during this time the Tetrarchy may have subtly helped in the flight of the Eiruks, however that is up for speculation and debate. What is however known is that the newly formed navy of the Tetrarchy spent its early years trading blows with Dwarven empire fleets, and hunting slavers. This was a time of unmatched prosperity, a golden age for the whole island, industries were established, technologies adopted and most importantly cities built. From the Confederation a population boom would occur, leading the island’s overall population to near triple.

Current Day

Today, the Federation has been in place for sixty five years(As of 1825ae) and though it has its troubles it is considered to be one of the safest human nations to live in. The major challenges facing the island today are the rising tide of so-called Meritists who seek an abolition of the nobility, and the rising resurgence of the Dwarven Empire - which is especially worrying to the peoples of the island nation who hold long memories and deep grudges.

Geography

The island of Ortim located to the far North-West of Aesox is the largest island on Pannotia. It has a number of smaller islands surrounding it to the north and west, however these are of little note due to most of them being inhabited by small fishing villages and lighthouses/watch towers. The island gives its name to the people who inhabit it and is believed to be the birthplace and original home of the Human race. Weather on the island is predictable with it enjoying a hot and humid summer, a rainy and windy autumn, a cold and snowy winter and finally a rainy and mild spring.

In the west you find the former kingdom of Aldrahara, the region is vast but rugged containing large swathes of highland plains marred by beautiful but treacherous fjords, this area is in the modern day home to many townships and maritime folk who harvest the seas bounty of pearls, fish and other delicacies whilst inland they are known for their quality ship building and vast salt deposits.

In the north you find the former kingdom of Birtharos, the region is large and contains many plains divided by large hilly sections, this area is in the modern day the second most populace home to scattered urban centers, towns and villages, it is the most fortified region and is the homeland to many who serve in the Ortimian Armed Service on land, sea and in the air. It is still renowned for its great herds of Aurochs and Mammoths as well as the usual sheep and goats. Manufacturing has begun to boom in the cities and towns particularly the textile industry.

In the south you find the former kingdom of Nimrahu, the region is composed of great swathes of river soaked plains and the towering central peaks.This area is the modern day home to the vast cities and sprawling farming communities it has always been known for and experiences some of the best weather in Ortim thanks to the cover provided by the mountains and the distance from the rough Western and Eastern coasts. Thus making its own southern sea and the Bay of Endeavour quite pleasant and calm. It is the industrial heartland and urban population capital of the island with massive industrialisation still taking place to this day, as well as vast mining operations taking place in the central peaks extracting great mineral wealth, these combine in making it also the economic heart of Ortim.

Mentioned above is the Bay of Endeavours, on the south/eastern part of the island it is the home to both Old Haven-Harbour and New Haven, with its name taken from the fact it was at the heart of both great endeavours that were the Great Migration and the Unification of Ortim. The bay is protected by three great fortresses, one on each side of its entrance and the third on the isle of iron located at the exact center of the entrance. These great fortresses extract tolls from passing ships, feature lighthouses to guide them and most importantly features the Great Chain Towers, which can be used to close off the bay and defend it from enemies.

Finally in the east you have the former kingdom of Suamhais, the region is composed of vast forests including the Ald Wood and gentle sloping valleys.his area in the modern day is the least urbanized part of the island, oh to be sure there are a number of cities and large towns present but they are interspersed with vast and empty rural areas. It is still the lumber capital of the island maintaining large well stewarded forests and many smaller mining operations as well as a mix of agriculture and animal husbandry, making it a sort of jack of all trades area.

Flora

• Slavers Bane: Slavers Bane is a thistle flower generally twice the size of a common thistle, its flower is dark blue in colour. It is believed that the unique red sap that coats the Slavers Banes spikes is deadly to dwarves, whether this is urban legend or truth is unknown, the sap however is certainly irritating to humans. Vast fields of Slavers Bane can be found near the few northern bays that are safe for ships to anchor in, believed to have been planted by superstitious natives to prevent Dwarven slave raids.

• Ortimian Great Oak: The Ortimian Great Oak, can only be found as its name suggests upon the island of Ortim, attempts to export the tree have always failed due to unknown reasons leading many to believe the oaks are connected to the very soul of the Island. They are the largest known species of Oak and indeed one of the largest known tree species on Pannotia and take decades to grow and mature. Once mature they produce some of the finest hardwood in the world and are prized in shipbuilding, this has led to their trade being strictly controlled by the Tetrarchies government and regulated by the Tetrarchy Trading Guilds and hoarded by the Navy and Lumber-Workers Guild.

Fauna

• Ortimian Shaggy Auroch: The only known surviving Aurochs left in pannotia this ancient bovine species still thrives in Ortim with both wild and domesticated breeds present, it is known to produce more beef and milk than most other bovine breeds and its horns have great use in decoration or as drinking horns.
• Ortimian Wooly Mammoth: The Ortimian Wooly Mammoth lives in the northern coastal area of Ortim, they are gargantuan but docile creatures with thick skin and thick wool covering their forms and features two large ivory tusks. They are herd animals who over generations have been domesticated and trained by the humans of Ortim to respond to various commands given via the tin whistle. They produce milk, cheese and vast amounts of wool and upon death they are often harvested for their ivory tusks, their excrement also makes for excellent fertilizer.

Government & Ruling System

The governing body of the island of Ortim is known as the Tetrarchy of Ortim, this is due to the fact that there are still for all intents and purposes four rulers of Ortim, although the actual situation is far more complex it is all based on a series of treaties and compromises that are still to this day debated in the three halls of governance and at the royal council.

The Royarch: A member of the royal council, ascending to the position every five years it is held on a rotating basis. The Royarch is the foremost of the Sovereigns of Ortim and during their tenure is in charge of foreign policy, the military and acts as the face of the nation and chief ambassador. Though all members of the royal council have some say, they are the tie breaker and ultimately the decision maker in times of emergency.They also appoint ambassadors to foreign nations, dispatch envoys as well as opening government inquiries and appointing their heads. They have access to a permanent absolute veto in all of the lower halls of governance and are answerable only to the supreme court and the royal council. The current Royarch is Siobhan O’Briannon IV who began their reign in 1825. The official title and honorifics awarded to the current Royarch are as followed: Royarch of the Tetrarchy of Ortim, Defender of the Shores and Protector of the United Peoples of Ortim.

The Royal Council: The ruling Sovereign of each kingdom holds a seat on the Royal Council, this is the highest governing body in Ortim and all legislation must pass through them before being made into law.They also advise the Royarch regarding any and all foreign policy,military decisions and while the Royarch is the sole authority when it comes to both foreign policy and the military there is one limit, the Royal Council is the only body that can approve a declaration of war through a unanimous vote. They can introduce and approve their own legislation which can only be stalled by the Judicial Council of Seventeen and appoint ministers to head branches of the civil service, as well as hear the findings of government inquiries and render verdict with the aid of the Judicial Council of Seventeen. The Royal Council holds sessions once per month, provided there are no extenuating circumstances that might lead to cancelling a meeting or scheduling an emergency meeting.

The current members are

• Royarch of the Tetrarchy of Ortim Siobhan O’Briannon IV, Defender of the Shores, Protector of the United Peoples of Ortim, Queen of Suaimhnis, Guardian of the Ald Wood and Duchess of Tir-Eyrn.

• King Otto “The Daring” Von Aachenburg II, King of Birtharos, Lord of the Hillocks, King-General of the Ortimian Army and Duke of Aachenburg.

• Queen Anahera Kalani VI, Queen of Aldarhara, Lady of the Waves, Queen-Admiral of the Ortimian Navy and Duchess of Awa-Wairua.

• King Zhang Dexing, King of Nimrahu, Lord of the Rivers, Most Serene Guardian of the Peaks and Duke of Yunshan.

The Judicial Council of Seventeen(The Supreme Court): Composed of two judges, one noble and one royal from each of the original kingdoms as well as the Lord Protector. It is the supreme legal authority of the kingdom and has the right and responsibility to check over any and all legislation and lodge any issues directly to the Royal Council. Any decision made by the court can only be overturned by a unanimous vote of the Royal Council.

The Golden Congress: The upper-hall of governance is the congress of the nobility consisting of forty representatives and the speaker of the golden hall whose duty it is to keep order, decorum and civility amongst the representatives and ensure a strict agenda is kept for each session. Of the representatives there are ten elected from each kingdom's nobility, in order to stand for election one must be the direct relative, a currently titled noble or a blue blooded knight with a royal writ of approval. They serve for five years the same as the Royarch. The speaker of the golden hall is always the Lord-Mayor of New Haven, elected by the city officials, local burghers and local nobility on a ten year cycle. The Golden Congress can revise, change, approve and strike down legislation approved in either of the lower halls of governance, they can also advise the Royal Council of foreign policy and military matters via congressional opinion papers or very rarely by requesting the council observe sessions of the hall, its members can serve in the civil service as ministers, as ambassadors to foreign nations, as heads or members of government inquiries.

The Silver Congress: The middle-hall of governance is the congress of the merchant and burgher class consisting of eighty-four members and a master of the role whose duty it is to keep order,decorum and maintain the agenda. In order to stand for election one must be a former mayor, a member in good standing of a recognized guild, a member in good standing of a merchant alliance or pay a fee of forty thousand Orums. The master of the role is always the First Councilor of the City of Old Haven-Harbour elected from the cities ruling council every fifteen years. Members of the Silver Congress are elected for five years and can introduce, revise, approve and strike down legislation made in the hall or sent down from the Golden Congress, they can also advise the Royal Council on foreign policy matters concerning trade via congressional opinion papers, its members can serve in the civil service as ministers, as ambassadors or attaches to foreign nations or as members of government enquiries.

The Bronze Congress: The lower-hall of governance is the congress of the people consisting of 172 members and three tribunes of the hall whose duty it is to keep order and maintain the agenda. In order to stand for election one must either be a former alderman/woman of a recognized village/town/city, be a non-blue blooded knight or pay a fee of four thousand Orums. The tribunes of the hall are elected by the congress of the people, and in order to stand to be a tribune of the hall one must be either a former member of the Bronze or Silver Congress or be a non blue blooded knight, tribunes of the hall are elected for two years. Members of the Bronze Congress are elected for four years and can introduce, revise, approve and strike down legislation made in the hall or sent down from the Golden Congress, its members can serve in the civil service as deputy minister or department heads, as observers to foreign embassies or as observers of government enquiries.

Note: Both the Bronze and Silver Congress send their legislation to the Golden Congress once approved, if approved in the Golden Congress it goes to the Royal Council for final approval provided there are no objections from the Judicial Council of Seventeen or any vetos from the Royal Council it is then passed into law.

The Civil Service: Mostly made up of the newly emerging non merchant/burgher middle class, the civil service are the cogs in the massive unwieldy machine that is the Government of the Tetrarchy of Ortim. Its members are hired and hold their jobs until retirement, sessions of congress come and go, ministers change and yet the civil service keeps everything running smoothly, they ensure taxes are collected, policies are implemented, legislation is maintained, wages are paid and services are provided.

It is organized as follows: the Royal Council appoints ministers every five years, these ministers are in charge of ministries ranging from the ministry of the treasury, the ministry of defense, the ministry of foreign affairs to the ministry of cultural affairs, the ministry of education and the ministry of agriculture. These ministries, while headed by the appointed minister who dictates policy and practises are actually run and managed by ministerial secretaries, usually veteran civil servants, who carry out their best interpretation of the will of the minister. Under the ministries you then have different departments, for example under the ministry of the treasury there are the departments of taxation, public projects, mercantile affairs and many more. The heads of these departments are appointed by the ministers and oversee their department in much the same way as the minister oversees their ministries, with the aid of a department chief. This all means that while legislatures and ministers may change, the continuity of good governance continues.

Foreign Policy: Ortim does not have any official alliances and as a matter of principle has maintained a form of neutrality since the beginning of the Tetrarchy. They have over the last sixty years focused on internal matters and prosperity, they have not officially been to war during their existence however it is well known that their navy has traded blows with the navy of the Dwarven Empire on numerous occasions. They trade mainly with the Aesoxian Nations and the Elven Nations of Ellewren. They have no known diplomatic pacts or alliances other than specific trade agreements, and they have maintained a form of isolationism not concerning themselves with the goings on of other nations. However, they do,maintain multiple permanent ambassadors to the governments/royal courts of Aesox and Ellewren, as well asa number of permanent embassies.

They have maintained an open hostility towards the Dwarven Empire, in fact at one point the Dwarven Empire sent an envoy to the Tetrarchy to address this fact, after a particularly violent naval skirmish that involved the sinking of a Dwarven Admirals flagship and said admirals death. The envoy and their retinue never returned and a decree was made by the ruling Royarch of the time Royarch of the Tetrarchy of Ortim Ariki Kalani II, Defender of the Shores, Protector of the United Peoples of Ortim, King of Aldrahara, Lord of the Waves and Duke of Awa-Wairua. The decree stated that no free citizen of the Dwarven Empire, no Member of the Dwarven Race and no friend of slavers was to ever find welcome upon the island of Ortim. That any who sought to come to their island would be given no shelter, no food and no gift other than a short noose and a long drop. This decree is still in effect to this day and was in fact codified into law a year after it was made.

Culture & Society

Fashion: The fashion of Ortim is summarized in the use of wool and cotton for clothing that is warm and functional, along with treated coats made of oiled leather to protect from the rain. For people of masculine inclinations trousers, suspenders and shirts are standard and often joined by either a sweater or a jacket of some sort. This is standard throughout the seasons and rarely changes look though in the summer wool is abandoned in favour of linen. For people of a feminine inclination long skirts with pockets or dresses are standard though in winter are always accompanied by a coat and scarf.

The main standout of Ortimian fashion is hats, every person in Ortim is expected by society to have a hat and wear it on special occasions, these range from the wide brimmed functional hats of the plains and hills made from felt and leather that keep the sun off, to the knitted woolen hats of the north and for those on the seas, to the brimmed, sleek straw hats of the south made in either a sleep brimmed fashion or a more traditional wide conical style, in the east you find the wool of tweed flat style caps and in the west bandanas are all the rage. This extends to all walks of life with nobles wearing different hats often trying to outdo each other with how large(either wide or tall) and gaudy they are.

Members of the Armed Services are also required to wear hats which differ depending on branch with enlisted/conscripted soldiers wearing either peaked or shako caps and officers wearing berets. Sailors wearing either tri-corns or bandanas and officers wearing bi-corns, aircorps aviators wearing hard leather skullcaps with goggles and officers wearing the same. Finally there are the soldiers in the Sovereign Protectors who wear either large bearskin hats or decorated lobster tailed pot helmets, no distinctions are made for officers except for the fact that the Major General Royal may wear no helm or hat during their service.

Architecture: The architecture of Ortim is shockingly uniform across the island ever since building practices were standardized by the first government of the Tetrarchy.rick of either stone or fired clay is the standard building material for walls and concrete is used to bind,and as a foundation whilst hardwood floors and roofs of slate are most common, some rural areas still use thatch roofs although these are becoming rarer and rarer. In cities marble and basalt brick are most used and flat roofs with gutter systems are most common, this is of course in the style of the City of New Haven.

Coastal villages, towns and cities are all required to have a dock, harbour or port that can host at minimum a squadron of naval ships. By law they must also have two chain towers and a lighthouse as standard, they are all required to maintain walls at least ten feet in height with four towers and four gatehouses. These are usually built of granite, though in some areas limestone and flint are used. In these fortified centers it is mandatory to have an assembly hall, a square for local national guard militias, a granary and storehouse as well as a magazine, a post office, a small fort/castle with a bunker and a watchtower and finally a government building for the use of magistrates, aldermen and tax collectors.

Inland villages, towns and cities are required to meet the same requirements except for obviously the required dock, harbour or port facilities and defenses, instead they are expected to maintain larger granaries and assembly halls as well as a square. They are also expected to have on the edge of the village, town or city an area where local national guard militias can meet once a month for training.

Music & Entertainment: In Ortim music and entertainment go hand in hand, the people are great lovers of nights out at either the Opera Hall, Concert Hall or Theatre. These Theatres generally host either musicals or pantomimes, which usually include rousing audience interaction and musical numbers, rather than traditional plays. Whilst the opera hosts exclusively opera or orchestral concerts, and finally the Concert Halls host the finest in Ortimian Music which feature a mix of various traditional styles of large drums, small stringed instruments, throat singing, lutes, zithers and various types of flutes.These concerts, though, are the least popular as the Opera is a hit amongst the nobility and burghers, whilst the theatre is for all.

The only exception to this is of course poetry reading and art exhibitions, which are all the rage and usually sponsored by local governments to showcase the splendor and prestige of their counties/provinces/regions etc. These showcases and exhibitions usually last for about a week and can take place anywhere from a town square to a city's numerous art galleries and are free for all to enter and look at.Many of the most famous of these exhibitions and readings showcase works from the Romance Era.

Sports & Games: In Ortim most sports and games vary wildly from region to region, however the most popular sports and games to be found are all somewhat rooted in martial heritage. Obviously you have various forms of martial arts such as karate, kung-fu and wrestling but you also have both sabre and rapier fencing being incredibly popular. There is also the game of Rugby, which is widely beloved with each large village, town and city having their own teams who call play in provincial leagues.When each province has its own team which compete in the All Ortim championship where all forty two provincial teams face off for a chance to win the Tetrarchal cup, this tournament is played every nine months normally taking around six months to conclude.With the advent of the train, many supporters have started using the rail network constructed by the Tetrarchy to travel to matches to support their provincial teams.

Cuisine: In Ortim food is possibly the most important thing to most people, this is likely due to the fact that during large periods during both the warring states period and in the aftermath of the great equilibrium food was often scarce in Ortim. This has meant that during the time of prosperity the people have come to appreciate and love food, this is best exemplified by the fact that there is a booming service industry in Ortim centered around restaurant culture and communal diners.

The foods most famous for coming from Ortim include many staple rice and noodle dishes from the south, seafood dishes from the west, cheese and cold cuts of meat from the north, and roasted meats,various sauces, and soups from the east. This all combines to make a traditional Ortimian dinner last even for the poorest amongst their folk six courses, which is of course mandatory for all from a societal perspective. It is also considered a great honour to share food with others and is a mark of either great friendship or deep love. The mandatory courses as seen by Ortim society include: a starter usually something light and tasty, a soup usually served with bread, some form of rice or noodle dish with broth(optionally), vegetables and meat(optionally), a light course of roasted meats with light vegetables, a board of fresh fruit, cheeses and cold meat usually enjoyed with a glass of wine or light beer. Finally there is the after dinner course which usually features light pastries, biscuits, teas and coffees. This is arguably the most important course as it is a chance for socialising, where one can smoke their pipe, enjoy their nibbles and beverages while discussing the news or business of the day. Optionally there are also pasta courses, more meat courses and dessert courses.

Events/Holidays: There are many regional holidays and celebrations in each of the regions of Ortim and after that many different local festivals to enjoy however there are only two fully nationally recognized and funded holidays on the island. The first is unification day which is celebrated on January 24th and is a national holiday where all are expected to take to the streets for celebrations, drinking and good cheer.

The second and far more somber of these national holidays is on March 14th, it is remembrance day set as the date the battle of the Ald Wood began. It is a day meant to be spent with family in contemplation, remembrance, honour those who fell in the great battle,and for those who serve or have served in the Armed Services in Ortim. At seven o’clock in the evening every adult of legal age is expected to raise a glass of their preferred beverage and drink a toast in honour and remembrance of the sacrifices made by those who served Ortim.

Magic: Magic is very rare in Ortim, some believe this to be due to a great ritual that ended in catastrophe that Ortimian mages attempted to perform directly after the great equilibrium. This legend states that in their attempt to fix the problems caused by the catastrophe the mages of Ortim severed the connection the island and those born on it had to potentia, this is however legend and no historians or magical scholars have been able to confirm this.

It is however true that very few on Ortim are born with magical potential, those who are are treated differently depending on the region they are from. If they are from the south or the east they are usually treated as gifted and expected to learn to use their gifts for good, whilst if they are from the north or the west they are treated with suspicion and distrust.

Magic is generally distrusted in Ortim, whilst it is not officially shunned many view it with suspicion. It is oft said of magic in Ortim that it is a sword without a hilt, it can be wielded and can even be useful, but it is never as sure or safe as that which can be achieved by humans working together.

Education: Education in Ortim is taken care of by state schools, every child is expected to attend for at minimum six months of the year, beginning at the age of five and going till the age of thirteen. All children are taught the basics of language, literacy, arithmetic, history, art/music and philosophy. Once a child reaches the age of fourteen they take what is called the evaluation, the results of which determine what avenues they have for their future. For most children this means they continue with regular schooling until they reach the age of eighteen at which point they go on to serve their mandatory service. However those who achieve particularly high scores on the examination are instead sent on one of three paths: those who score well both mentally and physically are sent to officers school, those who score well mentally and rationally are sent to the civil service school, and those who score exceptionally intellectually or artistically are sent on to universities at the full expense of the state. Of course all individuals in Ortim are allowed to attend universities, however those who do not meet the evaluation criteria are expected to do so after their military service and at their own expense.

Ruins & Archaeology: Ortim is home to many ruins and archaeological sites most of which can be found on the northern coast and in the eastern region, though the areas have become more populace many of these ruins either have significance to the local people as places of remembrance or are believed to be haunted. Though artifacts found within are vital to telling the story of Ortim and in the oldest, the history of humanity. These artifacts are protected and often left alone. Many of the artifacts and discoveries made from the excavation of these ruins are kept under wraps by the government of the Tetrarchy for unknown reasons.

Demographics

Ortim is populated by humans almost in its entirety, unsurprising given that it is the human homeland. The human populace is divided into four distinct cultural groups, these being: The Aldrahil, who traditionally inhabited the rugged western coast with its fjords and highlands. The Biralo-Tharons, who traditionally inhabited the North-Central plains and hills. The Nimrahil, who traditionally inhabited the southern riverlands and central mountain range. Finally, the Tuatha de Dóchas, who traditionally inhabited the eastern coast with its vast forests and valleys.

These cultural groups are the remnants of the human peoples who remained on Ortim after the great migration, though in the last two hundred and ten years they have become more homogenous, no longer seeing themselves as independent peoples with their own kingdoms but as part of a greater Ortimian whole. Though they maintain their cultures and traditions the majority of the inhabitants now speak the common language, though their ancient tongues are still used in the more rural areas.

The only non-native population on the island can be found in the two great port cities of New Haven and Old Haven-Harbour, the makeup is mostly humans from Aesox, Ferox, Nymphs and some Venyra. Most of these peoples are merchants who do business with the Tetrarchy, or in the case of Nymphs, indentured workers.

Military

The successor of the combined armies of Ortim and the legacy of the wars to repel dwarven incursions stands the armed forces of the Tetrarchy. Ortim maintains a proud martial culture, in fact the Tetrarchy quite possibly maintains one of the largest fighting forces on Pannotia, an impressive feat considering the nation's size and relative isolation. The entire military, officially called the Ortimian Armed Services is headed by the Lord Protector, a position that is appointed by unanimous decision of the royal council and serves for life or until retirement and reports directly to the Royarch and the royal council.The Lord Protector also serves as a member of the Council of Seventeen, as well. Under the Lord Protector you have the Chief General of the Armies, Grand Admiral of the Navy and High Marshal of the Aircorps as well as the Minister of Defense and the Master Fort-Keeper. All of whom serve on the Military High Committee which is chaired by the Lord Protector. The committee also includes members of the Royal Council serving as either generals or admirals(they usually only take part in meetings and do not command any dedicated forces though they have the authority to take command of any force in the relevant service at will) and the Major-General Royal who is in charge of the Sovereign Protectors, the organization that acts as the guards of all four sovereigns and their royal families.

The Army of Ortim, called the United Armies of Ortim is the second largest of the forces under the Ortimian Armed Services, it is headed by the Chief General of the Armies, who chairs their own cabinet made up of all the current active duty generals of the United Armies, Ortimian National Guard and the Army Reserves. The United Armies itself is organized by a multi-army structure with five armies currently on active duty.hese armies are commanded by generals and are organized into divisions which are commanded by lieutenant-generals and so on down through the ranks. Each army is assigned an area of responsibility on Ortim and is based out of permanent fortress-camps. Of the five Armies currently active each is reported to have ninety thousand active duty personnel, with the breakdown being roughly fifty thousand various types of infantry, twenty thousand various types of cavalry and mounted soldiers, ten thousand various types of artillery operators and ten thousand taking on various specialized roles (ie engineers, pioneers, scouts ect). This means that despite the fact there has not been a land conflict on the island of Ortim in at minimum two hundred and ten years, and the Tetrarchy having never gone to war during peacetime they maintain four hundred and fifty thousand active duty personnel with double that serving in the National Guard on a part time basis and an incredibly large pool of reservists given the Tetrarchy maintains that all citizens upon reaching the age of eighteen must serve four years of mandatory military service in either the Army, Navy or Aircorps, with no exceptions.

The Navy of Ortim called the Grand Navy of Ortim is the largest of the forces under the Ortimian Armed Services, it is headed by the Grand Admiral of the Navy, who chairs their own cabinet made up of all the current active duty Admirals of the Grand Navy, Admirals under the Naval Logistics Department and those of the Naval Reserve. The Grand Navy is organized into eleven fleets each commanded by an Admiral who has a number of vice-admirals and rear-admirals serving under them in command of various squadrons/detachments/flotillas. Each fleet has their own dedicated home port all of which are dedicated fortified military ports with all but two being located far from urban centers, those two exceptions being the first fleet based out of Port Endeavour located beside the city of Old Haven-Harbour and the second fleet based out of Port Spirit located beside the city of Awa-Wairua. Each fleet has a specific set duty, six of them are assigned to defense and patrol duty in the waters surrounding Ortim, two are assigned to wider patrol areas policing trade lanes and hunting smugglers, two are officially assigned to slaver interdiction with no set area of operation.his duty is usually reserved for the third and fourth fleets but each fleet has at some point, over the sixty five years of the Tetrarchy, served in this role at some point.This role is also widely known to actually mean skirmishing with Dwarven Empire fleets and hunting Dwarven Slavers and Raiders. The final fleet, the Eleventh Fleet is assigned to the duties of Exploration and Cartography. Their operations are unknown, however, due to the nature of the fleets’ duties it is very rare that the whole fleet is at any one time present in its entirety. Each fleet is roughly composed of somewhere in the region of between two hundred and two hundred and fifty ships, meaning that the Grand Navy maintains between two thousand two hundred and two thousand seven hundred and fifty active duty vessels during peacetime. This huge number is believed by many military scholars to be wrong, and inflated by Tetrarchy propaganda widely due to the fact that after the great migration three of the four kingdoms of Ortim completely abandoned any major maritime endeavours.

The Air corps called the Ortimian Aircorps is the newest of the forces under the Ortimian Armed Services, it is headed by the High Marshal of the Aircorps, who chairs their own cabinet made up of all the current active duty Air Marshals. The Aircorps is organized into seven corps and one air-guard corps each commanded by an Air Marshal. Each of the corps is based out of their own fortified and dedicated aerodrome installation, while the air-guard corps is based jointly out of the Old Haven-Harbour Aerodrome and the New Haven Aerodrome. Each corps has its own responsibilities, four of the corps are responsible for the patrol and defense of Ortimian airspace and waters coordinating with the relevant admirals, two of these corps are assigned permanently to support the navy with patrol or interdiction operations and the last of these corps is assigned permanently to support the United Armies and has so far only really done training in coordinated air support and bombing operations. Each corps is made up of fifty airships, meaning the Tetrarchy commands only three hundred and fifty airships, this small number however is believed to have increased since last records as in the year 1805 AE the Royal Council approved the Aircorps enhancement bill which dedicated millions of Orums to the expansion of the Aircorps as well as the research and development of new technologies with the goal of being near-peer to the Dwarven Empires airpower by the year 1830 AE.

The Fort-Keepers called the Department of Fortresses is the only department of the Ortimian Armed Services and is responsible for the upkeep, repair and construction of all military bases, camps, fortifications, ports, aerodromes and fortresses used by the various services in the Ortimian Armed Services.It is headed by the Master Fort-Keeper who oversees all the operations directly, and while this force is technically armed and maintains a small force for protecting construction operations it mostly operates as a construction company for the Ortimian Armed Services, the number of personnel serving in it is unknown.

Religion

Religion in Ortim is not outlawed, any are free to believe in anything they wish, however proselytising in public is outlawed, this has led to the government being completely secular in nature. Instead of religion, schools teach morals via discussions and lessons proposed by Romance Era Ortimian philosophers of which there are many, however there is a belief that the Tetrarchies school system ensures it instills in all children of Ortim.

This belief called the Ortimian Truth posits that as the ancient homeland of humanity the denizens of Ortim have a duty to hold themselves to the highest standards, to act as an example for all to follow and to act as guardians of the human race. This has led to many accusing the people of Ortim of being arrogant, superior and patronizing, whilst the Ortimian people themselves have the view that they are merely acting as is natural to the descendants of their cousin peoples who fled to Aesox when the going got tough.

This has also led to the claim that the people of Ortim and it’s government are human supremacists, this is of course untrue one need only see the trade deals and friendly relations it maintains with the elves of Ellewren, as well as their open attitude to Ferox. However they would never deny their utter hatred for the Dwarves.

Notable Locations

• New Haven: The Capital of the Ortim Tetrarchy was first established as a meeting place on the bay of endeavours where the four monarchs came together to form the Congress of Ortim. This site, over two hundred years, has evolved into a beautiful symbol of the island’s unity, a grand city of marble and basalt that is sometimes called the city of fountains.
• The Central Peaks: This mountain range is the centerpiece of the island; it features large deposits of basalt in its northern slopes, and marble in the southern. The peaks are quite high despite the mountain range being quite comparably small to others.
• The Ald Wood: The largest forest on the island found in former Tuatha de Dóchas lands. It hosts the highest concentration of Ortimian Great Oak trees, many of which are hundreds of years old and believed to be sacred to the Tuatha de Dóchas people. It is claimed by the Ortimian people to be one of the largest and oldest forests in Pannotia and by and large untouched in its depths. It is also the site of the battle of the Al Wood, which would play a pivotal role in the history of Ortim.
• Old Haven-Harbour: Once simply called Haven-Harbour, it was one of the few permanent port cities on the island up until the beginning of the Romance Period. It is said in legend that the legendary explorer and trader Myranda Swift-Sail first set out from this harbour to discover Aesox and lead the first migration. Today it is not just the oldest city in Ortim but also the largest by population and its busiest trading port.

Trivia

• Many believe that Ortim’s countless ancient/historical ruins found along the northern coast are haunted by the spirits of those killed in Dwarven raids, and that their spirits can be found in the dead of night, wailing for those they lost to the Dwarven slavers calling for them to come home.
• Contemporary archaeologists have mostly been banned from Ortim’s many ruins for unknown reasons. Those seeking to discover the origins of humanity in particular are arrested and deported from the island should they attempt to go sniffing around.
• Many works of poetry produced during the Romance period of Ortim’s history are considered to be some of the finest in the world, with many having deeply romantic undertones between characters from opposite kingdoms. It is believed that these works and their proliferation later played a large role in helping with the integration process.

---

Accreditation
Writers C_Farly Processors Bimberi, Marytha, TheHegemonCaller & Jadex	Last Editor CFarly on 02/16/2026.

---