The eastern 3rd of Amashik is home to plenty of diverse cultures.
I’ve often mentioned the cataclysm known as “The Separation” to most, and “The Shattering” to some, as the reason for the layout of the map of Amashik. There are plenty of tales about that and we will eventually explore them in depth. But for now, suffice it to say that those events are definitely responsible for the demographic make up of this fantasy world.
It’s always been important to me that Amashik be as diverse as possible. I don’t want to sugarcoat that at all, so let me state it plainly:
The lore, the worldbuilding, the literal and figurative foundation of this story is built around the idea that representation matters. And fantasy authors have a unique opportunity to lean into that when we craft our worlds because we typically are starting them from scratch. So when you see a diverse group of folks in one place or another within Amashik just remember: that’s the whole point.
We may not know who caused it, but “The Separation” most certainly broke up the continents on Amashik.
Whether they were magical, geological, or supernatural in nature… that’s up for debate. What isn’t is that they were the catalyst for the many different cultures we see when we dive into this epic. The Islands of Kavana are the focus today, but they are not alone in their eclectic cultural make up.
I took inspiration, both aesthetically and demographically, from Meso-American, ancient Malian1, and Eurasian cultures. I wanted to explore some of the richest cultures of the middle ages that we don’t get to see highlighted often in the fantasy genre alongside their obvious European inspired counterparts.
For example, the code the ro’kitas follow is very much aligned with Meso-American principles of intra-cultural warfare: capture don’t kill. Which is why many of them don’t use weapons of necessary lethal force. They can maim and incapacitate first and only kill if they have to. The royal class of Kavana is modeled very much after Ancient Mali and the immense amounts of wealth accrued by the little know West African trading Empire.2 In addition to the prowess of the ro’kita, Kavana flexes its power over this region much in the way the mongols of the Eurasian step did. Except where the mongols were unmatched on horseback, the Kavanians have no equal on the open seas.
Combining these traits and more made for an interesting exploration into the middle ages. One that will slowly be added into the mix as things progress in TRoN. Book 6 gives us a sneak peek into how some of these elements come into play.
Beyond the Islands of Kavana we find even more intrigue.
The world of Amashik isn’t void of magic like the first few issues of the story might lead you to believe. “The Separation” is said to have been aimed at ridding the lands of men of its influence, but that doesn’t mean it’s non-existent. The Kingdom of Edhel and Saldia are said to be full of magic users and what we would know as classic fantasy creatures. We’ll have to wait and see if that’s to be believed or if it’s just wive’s tales.
Either way, both Edhel and Saldia are steeped in their own lore and history. Edhel is second only to Dobash in it’s power and sway across Amashik. Ruled for centuries by House Penningtine, Edhel is the dominant political force in this region despite Kavana’s naval supremacy. The two nations have been in good standing for sometime and work together to control trade, travel, and taxation in the region. While Saldia and the Horaghian Confederation aren’t exactly vassals of Edhel their geographical position does make them somewhat dependent on the Kingdom.
As a result, some of Saldia’s most valuable exports are outlawed and the Horaghians are satisfied with their comfortable mercantile status.
How and when will we explore this region?
Well… it depends. Some of this will be touched upon in arc 2 as Dofo’li and co. continue on their journey after the events of Book 6. Inahtuu has intimate knowledge of this region as well and though he’s well on his way to the other side of the world he may give an interesting nod or two in the short stories he’s featured in. Anything else would come from future worldbuilding or lore posts like this one, an eventual fully fleshed out “Guide to Amashik,” or a yet to be planned3 novel or novella featuring the region.
As in Ancient Mali in West Africa. Recognized from 1247 to the early 1600’s.
https://www.britannica.com/place/Mali-historical-empire-Africa
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/mansa-musa-musa-i-mali/
Yes, that means there are already novels and novella planned and in the works!