Far East
- See also: Othard
Geography
In the strictest sense of the definition, the “Far East” encompasses the continent of Othard and its surrounding islands. For a more complete picture of the region’s geography, however, one should not neglect the study of Thavnair, and the lands of the Near East.
Greylic's Bend
Greylic's Bend is situated on the southernmost edge of Othard, and is known for its extraordinarily jagged shoreline. Large ships with deep draws routinely give the area a wide berth to avoid the many reefs that pepper its coastal waters.
Dalmasca
A land dominated by the arid expanse of the Dalmasca Desert. In contrast to the unrelenting lifelessness of the Burn just north of the Skatay Range, the harshness of this region is softened by the presence of numerous oases. These pockets of plenty allow overland caravans to rest and resupply on their way from northern to eastern provinces, bringing wealth and trade to Dalmascan settlements. The Royal City of Rabanastre—the Desert Sapphire—was once the most prominent example of such prosperity.
Skatay Range
This range of precipitous mountains begins in the east of Othard, and extends west into Ilsabard. Had this natural barrier not shielded the region of Dalmasca from the barren wastes of the Burn to the north, the latter’s devastation may have spread even further southward.
The Burn
This land of ashen death is the result of rituals performed in the ancient past—a prolonged succession of primal summonings that leeched the area of all vitality. Its waterways were drained and corrupted beyond recovery, leaving the green foliage of plant life all but a distant memory. Owing its name to the seared appearance of the endlessly stark landscape, the Burn’s inhabitants are restricted to those creatures hardy enough to endure the impossibly dry conditions.
Nagxia
Found to the east on Othard’s eastern coast, the land of Nagxia is known for the heat and humidity of its subtropical climate. Coastal winds pick up moisture heated over the Glass Ocean, and collide with the eastern reaches of the Skatay Range. This forms billowing clouds, which then lash the ground below with an almost constant deluge of rain. The region’s dense jungle and swampy ground make for poor farming—a fact which has likely contributed to Nagxia’s failure to produce an historically significant nation.
Yanxia
Yanxia is situated in the center of Othard’s eastern reaches, its lands made fertile by the waters of the One River. The region has long been hailed as Othard’s granary, and even now the pillar-like rock formations which dominate the landscape are threaded through with cultivated fields. As well as sustaining the largest population on the continent for centuries, this bountiful territory has also been the catalyst of innumerable bloody battles fought over its control.
The Fanged Crescent
The Fanged Crescent is the area of Yanxia found on the west bank of the One River. If one imagines the mountain range coiled around Othard as a great serpent, then its head would hold this territory in its distended jaws.
The Bay Of Yanxia
This enormous bay is bounded by Yanxia to the south, the Azim Steppe to the west, and Ryakgyr Peninsula to the east.
The Azim Steppe
The Azim Steppe is the ancestral home of the Au Ra. This region of chill winds and savage beasts shares a name with the Dawn Father—the patriarchal deity who features prominently in the Auri myth of creation.
The Nhaama
Stretching south of the Azim Steppe, this desert region is named after the Dusk Mother—a goddess who plays a principal role in the creation myth of the Au Ra. Bleak and inhospitable, the Nhaama is nonetheless home to several tribes of Xaela whose people have successfully adapted their ways to survive the harsh environment.
The Tail Mountains
Originating in the north of the Azim Steppe and sprawling away to the west, the Tail Mountains comprise the hind end of Othard’s winding, serpent of stone peaks. Their heights also serve as the source of the One River—multiple streams flow down their slopes to gather in the grasslands, and emerge as a single, mighty current to split the land of Yanxia in twain.
Ryakgyr Peninsula
This great hook of land protrudes from the northeastern corner of Othard, and boasts temperatures so cold that ice floes from the Blindfrost reach its northern shores intact. The peninsula is sparsely populated, with small clans of hunters being the only known inhabitants.
The Arras
On the northern edge of Ryakgyr Peninsula, the Arras is an unbroken line of sheer cliffs. Efforts to construct a major port in the area have been discouraged by the ocean’s seasonal freezing, as well as the presence of megaptera—sea monsters said to dwarf even the largest gyuki.
Blindfrost
The sea that greets Othard’s northern shoreline. Perpetually choked with drifting ice floes and hammered by violent storms, the Blindfrost has no known safe route for trade or travel.
The Dalvalan Grath
In the northwestern extremities of Othard’s tundra and the Cordillera Mountains, the land transforms into a blinding white tundra. A tribe of hunters, relatives of the Xaela, abandoned the plentiful Azim Steppe in ages past, and their descendants yet eke out a tenuous existence in this frozen wasteland.
The Knowing Sea
Bound by Ilsabard on one side and Othard on the other, this inland sea is so named for its place at what northern-province natives consider the edge of the known world. The Knowing Sea is notorious for its tempestuous weather—cold currents flowing in from the Blindfrost combine with ferocious gales from the Burn to birth endless roiling storms.
The Unpromised
This island once served as a stronghold from which Chaghagan Khan , a Xaela of legendary renown , launched a conquest into Ilsabard . His forces swept across the continent's northern nations , reaping and pillaging with savage abandon . When they returned to divide the spoils , however , the victory feast devolved into an ugly quarrel , culminating in the death of the king . The island is tainted by the tale to this day : the story of a monarch's greed , and his attempt to deny his warriors their promised share . [1]
Culture and Technology
It's a simple fact that different lands give rise to different cultures and different technologies. But when civilizations meet, ideas are exchanged, and cultures spread beyond the crucible of their conception. Dig deep enough, and one might discover that seemingly independent advancements share a common root.
Aetherytes And Tenkonto
Aetherytes are arcane constructions which facilitate the use of teleportation magicks. The vast majority of aetherytes operating in Eorzea today were built by Sharlayan artisans, whereas the “Tenkonto” of the Far East were built by the Onishishu, a collective of skilled craftsmen. For all intents and purposes, a Tenkonto functions in almost the exact same fashion as an Eorzean aetheryte.
Professor Helblona Helblonawyn, a teacher of teleportation sorcery at the Studium in Sharlayan, attempts to answer the question of how two cultures separated by the vastness of the ocean managed to invent such similar contrivances. According to the professor’s theory, the link is found in the expansion of ancient Allag. The design of Eorzea’s aetherytes was originally based upon analysis of a dormant Allagan relic unearthed by the Studium in the 598th year of the Sixth Astral Era. And though the Onishishu’s commitment to secrecy leaves much of its history the subject of conjecture, the collective is known to have guarded its techniques over the course of countless generations. Considering the Allagan Empire once occupied every corner of the Three Great Continents, it is not unthinkable that determined technologists could have silently preserved their cultures legacy, even as the pillars of learning were torn down during the Fourth Astral Era.
The scholars of the Studium unlocked the secrets of teleportation technology via analysis of dormant Allagan device. More recently, academics have been excited to learn that an adventurer has discovered aetherytes of Allagan construction which appear to be fully functional.
Though there are differences in the style of the design, the Tenkonto built by the Onishishu are otherwise astonishingly similar to Eorzean and Allagan aetherytes with regards to its fundamental structure. The devices share many points of commonality from the central crystal of exceptional clarity to the revolving aether stabilizer.
The Onishishu
The artisans of the Onishishu pledge themselves to no nation, but neither do they seek to profit from this neutrality. In many respects, the organization more closely resembles a monastic order than a crafting guild. Just as a monk devotes herself to a god, the Onishi employ their skills in service to the people. And in return for providing valuable technology such as the Tenkonto, they ask but meager payment: a crate of foodstuffs; a token offering of coins. The Onishishu will, however, flatly refuse those who request its services if the sole objective is one of personal gain. One tale tells of an Onishi who bit off his own tongue in response to a powerful Hingan lord's demand for fealty. Even in the face of armed threats, history has proven the artisans' willingness to accept death rather than surrender their long-preserved secrets. It is this very reputation for fanaticism that has allowed the Onishishu to retain its uncompromising, independence.
The traditional garb of an Onishi. Emblazoned with the unique design of their collective, the small “inro” the Onishi carry is said to grant them ingress to any gate in Hingashi—including the notoriously impassable doors of the palace.
Far Eastern Architecture
As is the case in Eorzea, architectural styles in the Far East change dramatically from region to region. Factors such as the availability of materials, the climate, and local custom all give rise to differences large and small.
In Yanxia, Nagxia, and Hingashi, for instance, abundant sources of lumber have led to the construction of primarily wooden dwellings. The stone foundation is laid, posts and crossbeams are lodged in place, and the roof is secured—thatching is common in rural areas, whilst tiles are the norm in the city. Walls are built from clay, plaster, or wooden panels. High humidity contributes to a preference for well-ventilated structures, and interior walls are kept to a minimum. Eorzeans are incredulous to find that rooms are often divided with naught more than paper or cloth partitions. “Fusuma”—thin sliding doors—are one example of these fragile barriers, the lightweight materials chosen for their ability to retain moisture and ease humid conditions. Yet whilst the fundamental building techniques are all but identical in the aforementioned locales, there are numerous variations in decoration and design.
Farther southwest, in the searing desert air of Dalmasca, the inhabitants build mainly in stone. This preference is largely influenced by availability—wood has always been a scarce and precious resource on the sands, and the rock quarried from the nearby Skatay Range is well suited to construction. Dalmascan architecture is also noted for the vibrantly colored tiles used to decorate most every surface.
Stone is likewise used in the Azim Steppe for structures where a greater degree of permanence is desired. The Tail Mountains provide the main source of construction materials—a fine-quality stone which the native tribes have a long tradition of carving into statues. They developed an art by which these statues can be ensorcelled to serve, making possible the creation of truly immense edifices. For the majority of the nomadic locals, however, dwellings take the form of yurts. These simple tents might feature wooden poles for support, but are mainly constructed from sturdy felt or hide—materials which are easily folded and carried from place to place.
Yanxian Dwellings
Yanxia’s buildings are awash with colors representative of various kinds of prospe for coin, Circular arches and windows symbolic
Nagxian Dwellings
The most notable feature of Nagxiaa abode is the roof, Tiles are pigmented red with iron oxide mortared in place with white plaster to create a vivid contrast in color. The line of plaster also serves a practical purpose, holding the tiles in place during Nagxia’s application phoons. In recent years, this method of tiling has gained popularity in Hingashi, the technique commonly referred to as the “southern wind” style.
Hingan Dwellings
With techniques learned on the continent forming the basis of Hingashi's architectural knowledge, Hingan houses are structurally similar to those of Yanxia . When it comes to appearance , however , the cylindrical towers and steeply curved roofs often seen in Yanxia are eschewed for a more angular aesthetic . [2]
Far Eastern Magicks
The art of the arcane features as prominently in the history of the Far East as it does in the annals of Eorzea. And just as Gridanian conjury differs from Uldahn thaumaturgy, the diverse magicks of these distant lands cannot be described as a single discipline. Eldritch secrets are closely guarded—such is the way of things—but a general understanding of the three main Far Eastern arts is not beyond the reach of an inquisitive mind.
Geomancy
Geomancy is an art wherein the practitioner delves into the currents of air, earth, and water, and combines their energies with his own to produce arcane phenomena. The discipline first arose in Yanxia, its secrets passed on from aged master to chosen student in the traditional manner. This restrictive method of succession continued for generations until Ganen, the founding father of Doma and a famous geomancer in his own right, opened a temple to teach the masses and thus brought his knowledge to the attention of the wider world.
With regards to the mastery it grants over wind, earth, and water, as well as its affinity for barriers, geomancy is thought to share many similarities with conjury. Scholars have also pointed out how certain aspects of the art have a kinship with Sharlayan astrology. In the nation of Hingashi, however, the geomancer’s banishing and binding of evil has been misconstrued as a means to manipulate the land and invite good fortune, leading the populace to consider these mages as little more than advisors for aspiring merchants.
Onmyojutsu
A unique art conceived in the land of Hingashi, onmyojutsu exhibits aspects of both thaumaturgy and divination. For the onmyoji, all in nature are born of either light or shadow, and it is in controlling the movement or balance between the two that arcane power is made manifest. This concept is thought to resemble the philosophy of polarity which exists in Eorzea, wherein the aetheric scales can tip in either an astral or umbral direction.
Symbolic of light and shadow, the discipline features many spells of fire and ice, with lightning magicks representing the energies which lurch between the two extremes. Onmyoji are also known for conjuring “shikigami” and binding them to golem-like servants crafted from wood or clay.
Eldritch Secrets of the Au Ra
Among the Xaela of the Azim Steppe, there is a multitude of tribes who have preserved the ways of ancient magicks. In typical Xaela fashion, the manner of their teaching, not to mention the content of the lesson itself, varies wildly from tribe to tribe. There are shamans who claim to hear the voices of the gods themselves, while yet others boast the ability to see into the future.
Whilst research into these magicks of eld has progressed but little, a respected aetherologist has documented instances of other phenomena—blasts of fire, curative touches, and the like—which prove the Xaela capable of casting the equivalent of most rudimentary spells. Distinct amongst their knowledge, however, is a rite wherein patterns engraved into specially prepared stone result in a biddable golem. These stone faces, or “khun chuluu” in the Xaela’s native tongue, can serve as a focus which amplifies arcane energies, enabling the manifestation of falling comets and other such spells of devastation and ruin. [3]