Last week, there was a thread about the medieval equivalent of the Americas, which evolved into a worldbuilding discussion around a fantasy medieval version of South America, with countries and races loosely based on the political landscape of the 19th century.
Anyone wants to add or discuss any ideas? It was turning into a neat setting.
Original thread:
Map is the internal divisions of fantasy Brazilian Empire, made by a brazilian user.
The basic of the countries were
Brazil is your typical Fantasy Empire, with a strong church and fighting elves in the jungles.
Argentina is an agglomeration of bickering warring states with an obsession with silver, related to a werewolf plague.
Uruguay is a republic/federation of city states, struggling with its two very aggresive neighbours.
Paraguay is a wood elves nation, either gearing up for war, or struggling with the crippling aftermath of a war.
Chile is full of dwarves which mine the mountains and fight the south barbarians, while Peru and Bolivia have a "strugling vestiges of a mighty empire" thing going on. they need more work.
Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela hadn`t been discussed at all.
And lastly, the Patagonia is an uncharted land filled with danger and monsters beyond comprehension. also, barbarians warbands.
Is there anyone in the original thread still around? want to keep at it?
"When the marching army crossed the Arco da Santa Trindade into Rio's main avenue, the crowd erupt with a cheer that would certainly be heard from the White Palace. The green and gold banner of the royal family emblazoned with the rampant jaguar flew over the vanguard of the parading army, and just below it, marched the knights of the Central provinces, their plates shone bright as silver under the intense tropical sun. As it was custom, the knights with higher standing worn a piece of jaguar pelt over their shoulders as a sign of their loyalty. Behind them, the less well armored barons and landed-knight, and finally, they marching forces of man-at-arms with their halberds and crossbows and large pavises with the colours of their lieges. Behind them, prisioners bound by chain pulled the carts with pelts and natives treasures and crafts that the nobility enjoyed to collect as curiosities. With their red skins and long dark hairs, the elves kept their heads low, pride broken as they were marched down the Empire's Capital as the conquered in another of the victory parades in honor of the Emperor. They would later be sold at the harbor market as slaves, I was told. More curious were the ones that came last in the column, in their long capes, one could almost take them for humans, if not for the slightly red tint in their skin. The half elven rangers, with their short bows and leather armor, who worked as the scouts in the wars with the native tribes, marched almost as if forgotten by the rest. Military service for the dominating human were the only choice for those born with half blood, given the native elves would never accept one not born within the circles of their own tribes. But that was not to say they were accepted among the humans with ease. Scouting first ahead in hostile territory, marching last in victory, living in the slums by the mountainside outside the capital's walls, or in isolated hunting lodges struggling for a living..."
"...during the peace intervals in the seasonal wars with the natives. They were instrumental in the Empire wars, and in a way, they were a fruit of them too." - Sebastiano Virgilio, Cronista Imperial.
Nice.
Is the White Palace an actual thing? I know shit about Rio.
The Cursed Islands are located out the shore of Patagonia desert. The Island's story is one of hubris, conflict and devastation, but also one of hope. The first settlers on the islands hauled from the Silver Kingdom before it even got it's name, back in times before legend. They built their villages and lived of fishing, whaling and in minor degree, producing salt and mining to sell to traders from the continent as civilization grew.
But just as the settlers begin to prosper, a cult emerged between them, worshiping a maritime leviathan, and it grew in power until all the islands were unified under their aegis. The cult brought benefits to the villagers of the Cursed Islands inhabitants, of course, back then, they didn't call it like that. The cultists were able to control the weather around the islands to some degree, shrouding them in mist and preventing pirate raids and external invasors, while granting somewhat good fishing for the coastal villages.
But not all was roses and the cultists also demanded the sacrifice of livestock and, rarely, but no unheard of beautiful virgin maidens, send out to the see in rafts designed to sink and be offered to the Leaviathan.
The name cursed islands came during the attempt of the Silver Lords to annex the islands and expel the cult. Ahead of the invasion fleet, the Silver King personal guard was sent. They stalked the shores in the knight and took down the sentinels before they could conjure a protective mist, and made room for the invading fleet.
Rumours of them turning into beasts and howling to the moon were heard but nothing was proven and soon the Silver Army eliminate the cultists forces in bloody skirmishes across the islands, with better armed troops and more numbers.
Whoever, after weeks securing the islands and hunting for remaining cultists, a shadow loomed in the horizon. A great sea dragon emerged from the seas with an army of creatures of the deep.
It's based on the royal's family residence during the Empire, and actual house of government for good part of the republic too, the Guanabara's Palace.
Lil update on the map
>dukedom
duchy is better
there's a difference inst there?
Dukedom when it's independent and Duchy when it's within a country? or the opposite?
The Silver kingdom should cover broadly the area of the Argentine Confederation (Dark Green)
Need to add the necromancer tribes of Venezuela. The lowland swamps and flood plains are home to scattered communities of shamans, necromancers, warlocks, witches, and other practicers of fell magic.
They employ armies of familiars wielding long pikes. Able to control massive formations as one united entity, the phalanxes they create are very powerful in combat. They work well against Brazil's cavalry and infantry.
They will sometimes make incursions into Brazilian territory looking for graveyards and unprotected necropolii to raid
Not from the original thread, but since OP mentioned Bolivia/Peru as the vestiges of an empire, maybe they could be more like the Byzantines, and Uruguay could be more like the Hanseatic League, with a bunch of little trading cities independent of each other? That idea might work better in the Caribbean though, depending on how far north the setting actually goes...
Is this setting going to be post-apocalyptic, or more just fantasy on a south american map? And what about the rest of the world? Are the slaves being sold to Europe and the rest of the old world? Are there black slaves, or are slaves exported?
Here's an updated map that I made, based off the most recent suggestions in the thread (and my own). Colombia and costa rica would be some sort of theocratic dictatorship, which is constantly at war with the horrors from the north, and the necromancers of venezuela
While almost all the continent is more or less united in faith, there has been modifications and mutations in the diferent countries religions. Most notable is the worship of saints.
These saints were known in life as The Liberators, the leaders of the diferent rebellions and war that ultimately defeated and splintered the ancient empire that covered all the continent (with the exception of the Brazilian empire).
Out of ten distinct countries in the continent, 9 can trace their origins to that ancient empire, And all can claim at least one of the Liberator Saints as their patron. Knightly orders take oaths to defent their ideals, and celebrations and monuments made in their honour.
This worship is more than simple superstition. Indeed some Clerics and Paladins are able to cast spells drawing power from their patron saint, and their relics are amongst the land`s greatest artifacts.
It is considered that the Liberator Saints protect the continent from outer threats, and any that fights for the good of the land beyond its borders shall receiver their blessing.
it`s mainly fantasy America, but since we ended up starting in the south, we go little up the ecuator line.
As I saw it, Peru was the capital of a once mighty empire that eventually eroded to nothingness. Bolivia was it`s final, vestigial province. When Peru was besieged, the imperial court moved from Peru to Bolivia, which was richer and more defendable. Then they lost peru, and a revolution in bolivia finally destroyed the empire.So tecnically, bolivia is the remant and succesor state of the Peruvian Empire, like Bizantine or the Holy Roman Empire.
Bolivia and Peru attempted to rejoin into a stronger kingdom, but it went... porly.
No difference afaik.
for venezuela, ecuador and colombia you can play around with a muisca-based civ
magical artifacts, monuments and ruins scattered all around the continent, left by a mysterious and powerful race that vanquished with no trace
oh, and brazil's jungle was filled with isolationist tribes, who were (are even, scientists suspect that there may be unknown tribes around the amazonia) very agressive
another thing: argentina was full of different tribes with different customs, so it is and always was a multicultural country
you can add tons of civs and stuff to it, the variety of biomes helps a lot
The Silverlands, Follow a couple of saints as patrons, but no saint is more celebrated than the Saint of the Sword. An unparaled military leader, his leadeship was instrumental in the liberation of his country. After the liberation of the silver land, he rejected an offer of kingship. He then took his armies through the Andes Mountains, joined forces with the Chilean revolutionaries, and aided in the country`s liberation. He then rejected the Chilean Crown, AGAIN, sailed north to the peruvian coast with his joint armies, joined forces with the peruvian rebelion, and finally destroyed the mighty empire.
He was given all sorts of honours an decorations, and the crowns of 3 kingdoms were ofered. He was even considered for new empereor! Instead, he rejected all of them and sailed away to locations unknown.
The Saint of the Sword is a crucial part of the Silver Kingdom`s religion and indetity. Soldiers and generals alike pray for his protection. Children memorize his maxims in school. The Silver Lands most prestigious Knightly order, The Grenadiers, was founded by Him, and it is said that under his command, they lost not once.
Also of significance is his Silver Sword, the enchanted sword he wielded all over the continent. Besides being one of the continent`s most powerful artifacts, it`s also the only relic that all Silver Lords recognize as part of the Regalia of the Silver King. War were fought just to claim ownership of this Sword.
Take a guess who`s its current wielder....
Internal Divisions are roughly like in this maps. Also, man is looking at old maps fun or what?