The planet of Artograch can be roughly divided into three main continent-archipelago clusters: the Occident, the Orient and the Triangle. Out of these, the franchise mainly focuses on the Occident, especially on the continent of Artograch.
Currently, as of 831 AEKE(831 years after the establishment of the Kingdom of Etrand), the Occident is at a tipping point: the three aforementioned great powers are at a three-way cold war with each other, with tensions being at an all-time high, while the previously unmentioned fourth, Gabyr, is sitting in the shadows watching it all with popcorn in their hands, while slowly expanding their trade empire in the Orient. Unseen for roughly five and a half centuries, Demons have been sighted lurking around, no doubt planting their own secret agents among the authorities of the aforementioned states. It is said that even the Orcs of Brutang are getting quite unruly, while the Empire of Neressa continues its long-practiced isolationist policies and the Principality of Artaburro tries to wiggle between the Kingdoms of Froturn, Dragoc and Etrand. Which power shall previal over the others and become a continental hegemon?
The known worldWays of Darkness is a media franchise set in the world of Artograch - the surface of the planet itself is subdivided into the larger and more populous (but plot-wise less relevant)Orient and the smaller and less populous (but plot-wise more relevant)Occident - just about all stories from the Ways of Darkness franchise take place within the Occident and feature characters native to the Occident, with information about the Orient largerly being referenced in the background. The Occident is further subdivided into the Continent of Artograch and Island of Gabyr-Keldorn. The earlier is home to civilizations such as the Etrand, Froturn, Dragoc and Artaburro, while the latter is home to the Principality of Gabyr and the Republic of Keldorn. Amongst the most known powers of the Orient are the Great Shár and the Týrýng.Political map of the OccidentThe Occident is populated by two main racial groups: the Elven races and the Indigenous races. The earlier's ancestors originally migrated from the Orient to the Occident in an event known as the Great Exodus. The Proto-Elves, originally hailing from the Orient, violently colonized Continental Artograch, displacing much of the indigenous population in an event known as The Great Purge, leaving the indigenous races - such as Lizardmen, Goblins, Ogres, Dwarves, Gnomes, Halflings and the Aeséni - in small numbers. A millenium later, these Proto-Elves evolved: those who migrated to what would be Froturn became the High Elves, those who migrated to what would become Dragoc became the Wood Elves, and those who migrated to future Etrand and Hulra became the... Humans. The Orcs and Dark Elves later appeared too, also Elven races.
From the struggles of all the races of Continental Artograch - Indigenous, Elven and Extra-Artograchian (such as the Demons) alike - three great powers emerged that would end up dominating the continent: the (overwhelmingly)Human(but multicultural and multiracial)Etrand, the High ElvenFroturn and the Wood ElvenDragoc, all three dominated by an Elven race. After the disasterous Demonic Invasion of the Third Century, these three great powers have formed a military aliance that still lasts even to this day - at least on paper. In reality, however, these three have been engaged in Cold Wars for centuries. First, during the 8th century, Etrand had serious political disagreements with Froturn and Dragoc. Then, just one and a half decade ago, a coup happened in Froturn, overthrowing the previous pro-Dragoci rulers who have won the Civil War of 809, installing an isolationist government that is pro-Etrandish in this Cold War, yet at the same time, distrusts even Etrand.
The year is 831. and there has been no war for A little more than two decades. In fact, if we discount the aforementioned Froturnish Civil War - in which there was Etrandish intervention - there hasn't been a real war between Artograchian countries for centuries in the Occident. Nevertheless, the current ballance of powers in the Occident is at a major tipping point: something is bound to happen in the near future, be it contact with a new civilization, divine intervention, a Third Demonic Invasion, or something even worse....
Gnarog Dougfrál is a HumanBattlemage/Warrior, who was originally a foreigner to the Ways of Darkness franchise - lifted from Alternate World, but is now considered a canon character by the creator.
