Destoria

“The voices chose the wrong island to save.“
– Head Outrider Calos Mossargen

Destoria is an island nation founded a year after The Withering and is currently the only known living remnant of civilization on the world of Ordos Prime. The Destorian Settlers, Tegrak Tribes, and the Laidar are the three main factions that founded the nation. The nation’s name is derived from the names of the people that founded it. It is led by the Three Patriot Council (TPC) and its military force are called the "Gatekeepers". Although it is only a hundred years old, Destoria was shaped into a force to be reckoned with by the blood and sweat of its people. They are currently preoccupied with their most ambitious project yet, a large scale operation called "The Leap".

Before the withering, Destoria was an island belonging to the Destorian Republic, a country which spanned the entire western coast of the continent of Narkan. The island’s original inhabitants were the primitive Tegrak tribes which the Destorian Republic allowed to stay on the island and treated them as a protectorate. The only condition was that the Tegrak tribes would allow the republic to build a single settlement on the southern tip of the island, the city of Kentolica.

This agreement kept the peace and so the settlers of the republic and the tribal natives lived in peace for a long time. However, when the day of the withering came, everything changed. As the mainland of Narkan was consumed by the withering, the frightened masses of the Destorian Republic boarded their ships and fled to the relative safety of the island. The Tegrak tribes were not happy about this, but they realised the withering would reach the island as well and did not want to spend their last days embroiled in pointless bloodshed. Both the Destorian settlers and the Tegrak tribesmen waited for the withering to claim them.

However, a miracle happened as the death fog, known as the withering, approached the island. On the very top of the northern mountains, a circle of twelve runic pillars came to life. The pillars produced a melodic chanting which covered the entire island with an aegis of emerald green light. Due to the melodic chanting they produced, the pillars were named "The Voices".

The island was spared from the horrors of the withering, and so the Destorian and Tegrak tribes were now faced with the prospect of living together. At first, it seemed like the Destorian would determine all the rules for sharing the island due to their technological superiority. However, when the Tegrak tribes began to awaken powerful innate magic fuelled by the pillars, they gained a lot of bargaining power and were able to negotiate better terms of living. The northern part of the island was given to the tribes while the south belonged to the Destorian settlers.

For twenty years, they lived in relative harmony and did their best to keep the flame of civilization burning. One day, a flying ship made from an unknown crimson metal crashed through the aegis and into the nearby sea. A kind of emergency system kicked in and the ship did not sink, but rather remained afloat. The Destorian outriders got on their patrol boats and went to investigate.

Here they were introduced to the Laidar, an alien race of thin humanoids with two eyes and vibrant colors as their most distinctive features. Some time passed before they could communicate properly, but eventually the tribals and the destorians learned from the Laidar that the whole of Ordos Prime was covered in this fog save for their island. The Laidar flew too close to the fog and so their ship became damaged and they were forced to land in the protective field of the island. After weeks of negotiation, the Laidar were given a plot of land in the centre of the island, but most of them remained on their ship which served as a floating city. The Laidar would do their best to try and repair their ship, but they knew that even if they succeeded, they would not be able to leave the planet due to the withering.

OPERATION LEAP

Another eighty years passed and the three factions struggled to coexist, especially the laidar. One day, another miracle occurred. The deadly fog of withering began to dissipate and in a few months it had completely disappeared. As soon as the fog disappeared, so did the protective aegis around the island. To the horror of all the tribals, nine of the twelve voices lost their power. Only three pillars remained active and produced the melodic chanting which had saved them all a hundred years earlier. With the loss of the pillars, the tribal’s magic was also affected. The Destorians and the Laidar were not affected by this as much, but rather set their sights on exploration, or in the case of the Laidar, departure.

Each faction now had something to do off the island. The Destorians wanted to re-establish civilization on the mainland, the Laidar wanted to search for a fuel source for their ship and the Tegrak tribes wanted to find a cure for the waning power of the voices.

As a result of their mutual need, Operation Leap was created and its goal is the exploration and reclamation of the old world. The operation is still in the planning stage.

GEOGRAPHY

The island is located in the northern hemisphere of Ordos Prime. The southern and central parts of the island consist mostly of plains and low hills, while the northern part of the island is characterized by mountainous terrain.

CLIMATE

The climate of the island is temperate with mild summers and cool winters. When the lake Okara, which is located in the centre of the island, begins to freeze, the inhabitants know that winter has come. Due to a heavy rain season, the Destorians settlers were able to build a stable agriculture on the fertile plains of the south, thus providing all three factions with food.

RELIGION

The tribals of the island worship Tegrak, father of creation, and they believe that the twelve pillars that saved them were gifts from their God. The Destorian settlers are devout worshipers of Saint Marzica, a legendary healer who saved Ordos Prime from a catastrophic plague hundreds of years ago with what could only be described as the Light of Heaven. The Laidar, on the other hand, worship an entity known as the Trinity, but they did not share any further information on it.

NOTABLE FACTIONS

The Destorian Outriders are a military organization of rangers that keep the peace in all the southern and central territories of the island. They are characterised by their pneumatic weaponry, tactical armour and gas masks as well as the long coats and hats they wear as part of their uniform. They also prefer to patrol the land on their newly created hover bikes.

The Fists of Tegrak are a group of combined tribal forces that guard the villages of the tribal peoples located in the northern mountainous region. Apart from their excellent skills in close combat, they are also masters of spiritual magic which they utilize in battle. The shamans are the most important members of the Fist of Tegrak as they are able to cover an entire unit with spectral armour or large shields to protect against missiles. The Fists also use magically enhanced animals such as battle bears.

The Shimmering Legion is an elite fighting order housed on the floating ship which serves as the home of the Laidar. They are characterised by their glowing power armours (hence the name shimmering) and deadly energy weapons. The Iaidar also favour using shields and flamethrowers in combat, which is why they can be seen in a testudo battle formation whenever they are in combat.

NOTABLE SETTLEMENTS

Kentolica is the capital of the Destorian settlers, located on one of the largest cliffs on the southern coast of the island. Its most notable feature is Saint Marzica’s statue, which holds a bright flame of life in its hands that is always burning.

Utak Goa(Ebon Village) is the capital of the tribes of Tegrak and is located on a mountain peak near the magical pillars that guard the island. It is a city of vibrant colors because of the huts and tents belonging to the various tribes that have made the city their home.

Ves’ el Ador is the name of the floating alien ship of the Laidar. The ship is made from a bright crimson metal and resembles a large triangle with a sphere in the middle. However, very few non-aidarians know what the ship actually looks like on the inside.

CALENDER

With the destruction of the old world, the tribals and the Destorians began using a new calendar, one which starts after the calamity. The current year for them is 100 P. W. (Post Withering).
The Laidar use their own unique calendar which they do not share with the other factions.