The Continent of Aynca

Overview

Aynca is a continent encompassing six nations: Verda, Bevany, Calcera, Gaulois, Tarquinia and Ursal.

For centuries, much of the continent was part of the Verda Empire, and Verdan culture still runs deep within each of the places it once conquered. Independent nations have since emerged, and some land remains contested along Verdan borders, but the continent has largely enjoyed an extended period of peace.

The West has been explored, but Aynca has little interest in acting further upon it - although this is where The Fayth originates, it now finds its true home here. The South remains uncharted, its ocean too hazardous for all but the hardiest seafarers. Ursal and Tarquinia extend further East on the map, but beyond that lies the unexplored. To the North sits a treacherous polar ice cap where some have dared to explore, but none have returned.

The Empire's influence means nobility looks largely the same across the continent - with one notable exception in Ursal.

Ayncan Calendar

The first event took place in 1751. Subsequent events follow sequentially e.g. 2025 = 1751, 2026 = 1752, etc.

All nations in Aynca subscribe to the same calendar. Months are all 30 days long, beginning with Afanus (Afanus = January).

Key festivals observed through the seasons:

Auroralis - The Spring Equinox
Clarignis - The Festival of Flame
Solaestus - The Summer Solstice
Tortamus - The Festival of Shared Bread
Aestis - The Autumn Equinox
Occasis - Summer's End
Festum - The Winter Solstice and Feast Day
Inverti - The Fertility Festival

Communities living beyond The Fayth often use these festivals as their calendar instead of specific months.

Nobility

Nobility who become Jaeger do not forgo their responsibilities. They're often siblings to heirs, becoming Jaeger for a change of lifestyle or as a position of honour for their family - most noble Jaegers eventually return to their political postings, fighting the political battles needed to keep the Jaegers funded and supplied.

There is a shared structure across Verda, Bevany, Calcera and Tarquinia which is a legacy from the Verda Empire. Only one Archduke exists, leading both the Fayth and Verda.

Gaulois peerage may exist, but wider Ayncans do not know what it is.

Verdan Peerage

  • Erzherzog (Archduke)
  • Erzog (Duke)
  • Marchis (Marquess)
  • Eril (Earl)
  • Conte (Count)
  • Visconte (Viscount) - Highest achievable title for a Minor Noble
  • Baron
  • Baronet
  • Ser

Ursan Peerage

  • Cyning (Sovereign)
  • Etheling (Heirs)
  • Alderman (Earl)
  • High-Reeve (Judge)
  • Thegn (Aristocrat) - Highest achievable title for a Minor Noble
  • Reeve (Chief Magistrate)
  • Carl (Magistrate)

Nations & States

Pronounced: Beh-vah-nee

Capital: Montbury
Population: ~23,000,000
Religion: The Fayth
Ruler: Lord Protector Edward Wetherby Dean Higham
Emblem: A falcon clutching a periwinkle

A small coastal nation west of the Verdant mountains, formerly part of the Empire, now independent under its first attempt at democracy, where noble families petition for a member to become Lord Protector.

Bevany's rocky geography concentrates its population into a few large cities; rural Bevany is famously, eerily empty, and rumours persist of strange superstitions and archaic ways of life among those who live far from The Fayth.

There's currently a sense of anticipation in the air of the cities, as if for some great revelation.

In 1736, Bevany overthrew its monarchy in a swift, bloody revolt led by the now Lord Protector - many noble families were wiped out, though some remain, now watched with close scrutiny by an empowered proletariat.