RenDragonClaw on DeviantArthttps://www.deviantart.com/rendragonclaw/art/Four-Empires-Map-Final-328496801RenDragonClaw

Deviation Actions

RenDragonClaw's avatar

Four Empires Map Final

Published:
18.7K Views

Description

For reference only, these are the territories and locations for the Four Empires period.

Atlantis: Noted by the Aqua Green, fabled empire Atlantis fittingly dominated the Atlantic and most coastal regions thereof. They frequently battled Hyperborea for control of the Mediterranian and the C'thunic gates that were a cause of great turmoil but also presented unfathomable resources. It was ruled by a council of enigma sensitives called the Olympic Patheon which gave rise to many of the Greek and Roman myths concerning the 'gods of Olympus'. They specialized in genetic engineering via technology left behind by an unknown and ancient alien race. Generally speaking they were more accepting of monsters, kaiju and other such races at that time. Many have tried to find Atlantis but the landmass that was once Atlantis is no more, merely tiny islands and the occasional odd piece of rubble on the ocean floor. What is left of Atlantis now are the kaiju that once defended it.

Hyperborea: Represented in Blue, the legendary realm of Hyperborea dominated most of the frigid north and much of the Arctic Circle and it's coresponding ocean. They were ruled by a rival group of engima sensitives known as the Titanomachy which gave rise to the legends of the titans and their war with the gods of Olypmus. Hyperborea was generally more dour and stubborn in temperment, focusing on fortification in high mountainous regions where their rivals had difficulty reaching them. They were known for fielding titanic golems and other constructs made from animated stone and later metal. The process of doing this was like with the Atlantians, something discovered and left behind by unknown and highly intelligent beings; reverse engineered over time. They shared borders with many of their rivals and thus made alliances on occasion with Muu and Lemuria in opposition to Atlantis. What remains of Hyperborea now are ruins and much of it unrecognizable save for few locations like the one that loosed Tamotahn and Hydra into the world. The legacy of Hyperborea however is deeply rooted in the mythology of the Greeks and Romans whose own ruins and artifacts can still be seen today.

Lemuria: Shown as Yellow, Lemuria was the major power in the Indian Ocean and in contrast to Atlantis and Hyperborea was a mostly neutral spectator more interested in spiritual developement. They were a purely organic society and their territory thrived where their creations could grow. Much of their territory was a tropical paradise grown to suit their needs, it's reach literally branching out. The origin of Lemurias organic technology is as mysterious as the other empires but it is said to have origins in ancient Hindu Myth and the mysterious Deva. This same technology allowed them great feats of restraint and sealing of various monsters of great power. It managed to hold onto it's neutrality through careful and passive relationships with it's neighbors. While they did not have as many kaiju to defend their empire, those they did possess were treated well and were quite formidable. Their primary rival being the ever ambitious Muu but only when it came to trade routes as neither wished to make themselves more susceptable to their neighbors attentions through open warfare. Much of Lemuria's struggles were of a covert and philosophical nature. Lemuria in the end allowed itself to wither, like a dying flower it spread itself far and wide and left it's former home to crumble apart beneath the waves.

Muu: Heralded in Purple, Muu was a large but reclusive empire that ruled the Pacific and thus had access to all manner of things that it's rivals did not. While the other empires often grew, created or sculpted their own defenders, Muu specialized in amplifing and upgrading theirs. They were the first to use advanced alloys for both military and civic use which carried over towards their dealings with Hyperborea and Atlantis, playing both sides for it's own gain. They were the most technologically advanced in the traditional sense of the Four Empires and they often concentrated their efforts on wrestling supply lines and trade routes from Lemuria, stealing secrets from Shangri-La and provoking the Calotha with their desire to cultivate exotic substances from the southern jungles. Muu's technological prowess came from a dark and equally mysterious source that to this day is just as unknown to modern understanding. Muu was the most resistant to giving up everything they had and while their mighty empire is no more, who knows what could lurking beneath the ocean's depths. On the surface, only tiny scattered islands remain of the artificial continent.

Shangri-La: Respected in Orange, the dynasty of Shangri-La was even more reculsive than it's ocean dominating peers and quietly held a majority of Asia to itself. Shangri-La quietly sought the mysteries of the universe and life in general in their misty valleys and snow capped mountains. They thrived in relative isolation and were adamant in keeping it that way despite the meddlesome probing of Muu and the tentative exploration of Hyperborea. Lemuria was the only empire Shangri-La had any real contact or relationship with and both agreed to respect the other's space and own journey into self improvement. In contrast to Lemuria however, Shangri-La made no qualms about how it dealt with aggression and such incidents were never recorded because all involved were never heard from again. Shangri-La kept it's secrets close. During the fall Shangri-La did what it does best and disappeared from the pages of history.

Sultanate of Blood: Dyed in Red, the Sultanate held most of the Middle East and southern deserts in a grip of iron. The other empires sought to keep interaction with the nation to a minimum as the Sultanate was ruled by a royal family of sorcerors that were as aggressive with each other as they were with foreign envoys. Embroiled in their own feuds, the Sultanate had no tolerance for interference and was something of an antagonistic buffer between Hyperborea, Atlantis and Lemuria. The harsh region was the original home of the Stymphalin Birds and deployed strange magic and sacrificial rituals that made continued hostilities more trouble than it was worth. The other nations exerting just enough influence to keep the Sultanate's aggressions contained within their own borders. The few times battles have taken place against the Sultanate, reports of nightmarish canine creatures lurking the dunes always come with it. The Sultanate and it's capital 'Iram of the Pillars' was said to have finally fallen to their own hubris, imploding in a damning castarophe that sank their city and people beneath the earth. One should pray that the horrors brought about by the Sultanate never surface.

Amazonia: The matriarchal queendom of the Amazon people, this small region was a constant thorn in the side of Hyperborea whose prideful and defiant warrior women kept occupation at bay for quite some time. During the war between Atlantis and Hyperborea, Amazonia would become a casualty of Hyperborea's Hero project. It's people and culture passing into legend.

Capitals: Designated a red star, the capitals were the major cities of the various empires and nations. Many legendary lost cities were in fact the central hub and home of their leaders. After the Fall of the Four Empires, all of these cities were lost either to destruction.

Cities: There were quite a few major cities during the War and many myths and epic sagas have been written about them.

Surviving Capitals: Shown with a black star, these major cities were not immediately destroyed after the Fall or were created after it. Many are simply 'lost' and unknown to the ignorant modern world today either by the sands of time burying them or through design.

C'thunic Gates: Labeled with a red circle, these breaches from the Enigma Zone are a source of both great power and great danger, constantly pulsing enigma into the world but also allowing many of it's exotic and fearsome denizens in as well. Enigma Shades being the most common of these invaders, leading many to assume that these places were entrances to the underworld. The largest of them, Tartarus and Hades, were made into prisons to contain both common criminal and lunatic alike. Once mistaken for being Cthonic Gates, the caves get their name from the behemoth so connected to them: the apocalyptic kaiju C'thun. The lunacy caused by the inflation of activity in these caves was the primary cause of the continuing deteoration the Four Empires. Today they for the most part remain sealed and unacessable.
Image size
1288x663px 500.71 KB
© 2012 - 2024 RenDragonClaw
Comments31
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
chairface's avatar

Very nice map. But shouldn’t Athens be a separate nation? Shortly before the cataclysm, the Athenians fought against Atlantis.