The volinium wars (and other tales)

The origins of war ⊹ ࣪ ˖.✦ ݁˖

Long ago, Chalybius, the many-faced god, fell in love with the most beautiful woman to walk this damned earth, Volinia. Her death led to a millenium of war between humans and shifters.
Some blame Chalybius's haste, others, Invidium, the many-eyed god's jealousy, but they all know one thing : Volinia fell in the water below her as Chalybius carried her to the heavens and thus named the river after herself and unwllingly sending two people, once friends, into mindless battle.

Now, the volinia river stands between the Egregean continent, home to the human kingdoms, and Yamaele, the sacred shifter homeland, covered with forests and mystical mountains.

Volinium and its rules ⋆˚࿔ ⋆˙⟡

Shifters are real. Powerful, mighty creatures abe to change shape at will. Most of them possess attributes that distinguish them from humans, be it horns, animal ears, wings or tails. They can change to any shape they want, be it the smallest of mice or the largest of bears, without any restrictions but their imagination and their energy. Some of them, however, the ones humans write songs about, can mimick other people. Those are called Nummulares. Feared by humans, respected by their peers, they are few, but they are powerful.

The shifter tribes ✶⋆.˚ ₊⊹

✦ The Eastern tribe

Leader : Willow Nothyngard
Banner colors : yellow, orange, red

They are the one leading the charge against humans most often time. They are known to be great warriors among shifters, fierce and willing to die on the battlefield. The tribe lives closest to the edge of the volinia river, and is the one protecting the rest of the forest from human incursions.

✦ The Northern tribe

Leader : Gherta the Old
Banner colors : all shades of green

The Northern Tribe is composed of pacifists and healers, they resent violence and are the one who are trying to establish peaceful terms with humans. They are the one living the farthest from the volinia river. They know of all the plants and virtues of nature to both save and kill. They refused to send their people to die, but they do provide support to other tribes by healing their wounded. They are the keeper of the ancient tongues and knowledge.

✦ The Western tribe

Leader : Mova'ch the Fool
Banner colors : Purple and pink

They are the most skilled shifters, they have a way with magic that feels effortless and easy, and they are the tribe who produces the biggest amount of Nummurales. They are known to be hungry for glory and eager for stories, they enjoy entertainment and distractions more than other tribes and make the best story tellers to pass on their history. They do not take the war seriously and consider it a meaningless fight for an old, dead legend, though some of them still join the Eastern tribe to fight.

✦ The Southern tribe

Leader : Jack with the Quick Feet/Jack Quick-Feet
Banner colors : all shades of blue

The Southern tribe is the most open one. They welcome outcasts, humans who fled the war, other species who were curious and traveled to Yamaele. They are the recorders of knowledge and history, the ones who have the most amount of books. They are renowed to be trained in strategy and logical thinking at a very young age and they are often willing to join the eastern tribe to help in the war, though they are often reluctant to fight.

The human kingdoms ⋆⭒˚.⋆ ₊˚⊹ᰔ

The Egregean continent is divided into four main kingdoms.

⟡ The Pilean kingdom

Ruled by : King Theron

The smallest kingdom of the continent. It is a military power and the first line of combat against shifters. They have northern borders on the volinia river and eastern borders with the lukanean kingdom. Efficient and strong willed, the pileans are said to be fearsome warriors who have perfected the art of war. They follow a strict code of honor and make great kings. King Theron is a stern and hard man, a windower and a warmonger who is respected by his allies and feared by his ennemies. He is recognizable by the star shaped scar carved on his face by Willow Nothyngard. The Pileans harbor the colors black and silver to distinguish themselves from the very colorful shifters.

⟡ The Lukanean kingdom

Ruled by : King Luke the Grey and Queen Ceacelea the Fair

A vast kingdom, covered in mountains and large cities. The mountains are hostile, steep and provide harsh environments and its cities are nestled between them. The cities are densely populated. The Lukanean kingdom and its people, the lukeens, are known to be great philosophers, artists, adventurers and strategists, able to think outside the box and adapt to many places of the world. King Luke is a good king only thanks to Queen Ceacelea, an example of generosity and kindness. She is his light and day, his entire life. Queen Ceacelea is known to spare shifter prisoners and offer them good living conditions in the kingdom. The lukanean kingdom shares a border with the volinia river on the north and a western border with the pilean kingdom on the west. Their colors are black and copper.

⟡ The Shawahry kingdom

Ruled by : King Shawar fifth of his name

Probably the richest kingdom of the continent, and the farthest one away from the volinia river. It is the second largest land of the continent and is separated between large deserts of golden sand and fertile land, watered by many rivers and streams. The Shawahrees are known to be excellent surgeons, astronomers, mathematicians and geographers. They have the most powerful fleet of known humanking as they are excellent sailors. King Shawar V is a young king, taking the throne after his father, Shawar IV. He is known to be hedonistic, very smart, good natured, funny and very cultured. The Shawahrees are divided about the war, some refuse it and think it barbaric and outdated, others go willingly fight it and participate in the effort. The kingdom's colors are white and gold.

⟡ The Leekhmenean kingdom

Ruled by : Queen Nargis the Stag Heart

Land of the Leekhees, is a tropical and dangerous land. Its people, the leekhees, are great survivors who are raised to know the forest and its dangers. They are known to have the greatest gastronomy of the continent, the best universities, and to forge the good nobles of tomorrow. It is the largest kingdom in terms of surface and produces more than half of the fruit production of the continent. They are the only kingdom who is firmly opposed to war and protest it by enforcing embargos and restriction, especially with the pileans. They refuse to go to war at all by fiercely defend themselves from any attempt at invasions. The queen regent, Nargis the Stag Heart, is a fair and beautiful woman who has refused to take a consort. She rules by herself and is an excellent queen to her people. She speaks many languages and plays the harp, her talents are sung on the entire continent. She is rumored to also be an excellent fighter though that remains to be seen. The Leekhmenean kingdom bears the colors red, orange and green, as they are the only ones who do not care about being colorful like the shifters.

Author's note : I hope you have fun with this 𓏲 ๋࣭ ࣪ ˖🎐