The World of Valtiel
Frosty white peaks with winter cold, nether land valleys of green; great tall forests with secrets bold, and golden deserts to the sea; silver stone cities, the Twelve behold, to cobble-lined streets of the east; nomadic hillman and the Espas trolls, these lands Valtiel bids to thee.
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– Excerpt from the folk song, Valtiel Bids to Thee
A Storied Land
The continent of Valtiel, or the known world as it is more commonly called, is a diverse land, but hidden beneath its vast splendor is a sea of tumult and chaos. Its proud peoples hail from many distinct realms, each with their own ancient histories spanning thousands of years, unique cultures, traditions, legends, and religions. Here, myths and folktales are all real, lurking in the shadows. A unique bestiary of creatures roam the far reaches of Valtiel, reminiscent of a bygone age when they once dominated the land.
The land plays a central role in shaping the history of the known world. At the center, both literally and figuratively lie the mighty Espas Mountains. They begin far in the north, where mammoth trekked snowy wastes hug an arctic sea of ice. Here they begin their ascent, running down through the center of the continent like a spine. This formidable range stretches all the way down to the southern reaches of the mainland, near the rugged dry isle of Kepherete, far in the southwestern periphery of the known world.
One significant demarcation between our own world and Valtiel is that with the emergence of a Bronze Age in Valtiel, their societies never experienced widespread decline and political collapse. Instead, their civilizations have been able to continue their storied tapestry without widespread catastrophe. Some of the Valteic societies have made their contributions to the world by emphasizing technological innovation. Others basked in cultural golden ages, while some entrenched themselves in old ways and strict customs.
Two key traits are fundamental to Valtiel: 1. Valtiel is by no means a united land. Each of the world's realms are quite suspicious and, to varying degrees, isolated from one another. 2. A wide breadth of technology, cultural traditions, and political structures have evolved throughout the world, resulting in vastly different societies between regions. Ultimately, this is the story of the history of this ancient world, told through the lens of those who will make a great impact on it.
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We are first invited to Valtiel in the Rememberant: The Fall of Kings. Herein, we venture to the realms of Kepherete, Reavon, Arerlundur, and the Alessian Isles. It is a rapidly changing place with so much to explore and discover...
The Realms of Valtiel
Valtiel's realms come in many shapes and sizes. Each of them vary immensely, from highly centralized societies, to loose confederations and city-states. Nonetheless, for many, the notion of the nation is still a loose one, where loyalty to a particular realm's ruler tends to grey further into the hinterland from one realm to the next. Outside the cities, much of the continent still lives in a tribal or an allodial, pre-feudal order. In the beginning of the story, Melaine and Reavon stand as the two most powerful civilizations in Valtiel.
Click the maps below to learn more about the realms of Valtiel
Spotlight: Atula - The Floating City
The crown jewel of Reavon and the known world's largest city, the home of a god...
Timeline of the City
Unkown - Mythical Founding of Atula
1542 - The Fabled King Revin becomes ruler
1534 - Ztunyr Slain
1449 - The original Temple is Built
1248 - Revin's Dynasty loses power
1164 - Beginning of the Melanish Occupation
1088 - Atula Liberated from Melaine
753 - The Great Fire; Arena is Built
487 - 485 - The Interregnum
441 - The Royal Curacy Chambers are Built
288 - Work on the Silver Bridge Begins
219 - The Silver Bridge is Completed
53 - The Royal Palace Complex Built
9 - Atula IX Ascends to the Throne
0 - The Present, Plague Spreads Across Atula
A City of Chinampas and Stone
Atula is the capital of Reavon and the largest city in Valtiel with nearly a third of a million inhabitants. Settled on an island at the juncture of two peninsulas, Atula quickly became a vital crossroads between north and south and a hub of cultural exchange. The city's wealth and influence grew to roaring heights rivaled by only a few other cities in Valtiel.
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​ One of the Known World's oldest settlements, Atula's namesake and founder was the only mortal to be invited join the seat of the gods according to the city's founding myth. This legend continued to resonate through time, as one of the first of the city's many great monuments was a vast pyramid to the god; this and the fact that there have been nine Kings of Reavon bearing the name Atula.
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​ By the start of the Fall of Kings, Atula had become a tale of two worlds like the two peninsulas it it's been built between. On one hand, it had become a city of many architectural wonders. Among them were the vast Temple of Creation complex basking in its domed splendor upon the acropolis above the city. The Silver Bridge, a mighty suspension bridge of stone soared across the straights, standing as a testament to Reavon’s engineering prowess. There was also the ancient Temple of Atula, the Royal Palace, Arena, and the Curacy Chambers among other breathtaking sites.
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It’s cobblestone streets and bustling ports emanated great prestige, but the city was also home to the masses of the downtrodden, the forgotten, and hungry. The glory of Atula ascended to the heavens but a derelict underbelly permeated deep within too. Corruption was rampant and, in many ways, the city had evolved into a place where power and wealth determined your accountability to the law.
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​ Atula came to represent much of the larger world of Valtiel. The juxtaposition of glory and proud history cast their shadow upon the many who struggled to survive. This divide portended great change, and where there is great change a story is waiting to be told.
There Remains So Much More...
The World of Valtiel is a vast, sweeping continent. When I began my concept for Rememberant, I began with Valtiel. More of this world comes to life on the written page, but even then, this is just the beginning. I have gathered nearly 60,000 words on lore for the world so far. From these notes, another project in development is the Traveler's Guide to the Known World series, a deep dive into each of Valtiel's countries: their cultures, histories, and other pieces of information from throughout each of their storied pasts.