Region: Olympus

Olympus

Olympus is located to the southeast of Tartarus and is home to most of the Zeus fleet of Godcities that survived the Fall. There are eight major living Godcities located in Olympus, as well as the relatively well preserved Godcity of Poseidon that crashed just off the coast. Since most of the Godcities in Olympus crashed near the border with Tartarus or along the coast of Oceanus, most of Olympus’ interior is under Exiled control.

Geography

Olympus borders The Nile to its west, Tartarus to its northwest, Midgard to its north, Oceanus to its east, and the fire wastes of Muspelheim to its south. The Svartlfheim Mountain Range runs the length of the border with Tartarus and Midgard. The only safe paths to cross these mountains are near the Godcity Persephone along the border with Tartarus, and along the God-Road thorough Svartlfheim into Midgard. The border with The Nile was once an open and fertile part of Olympus, but in the Second Age an explosion of God Hearts created the radioactive Lerna region that is still deadly in the Third Age.

The majority of Olympus consists of rolling hills and a mix of grasslands and forests. There are several major river systems that feed into the Aegean, a relatively calm body of water in the southeast of Olympus that is connected to Oceanus. It is home to thousands of tiny islands and the crashed Godcity of Poseidon.

Half of the major Godcities in Olympus, including the flagship Godcity of Zues, crashed relatively close to each other near the border with Tartarus, in what is known as the Godcity Cluster. This cluster of Godcities is the most densely populated area of Chosen in all Anesidora, while most of Olympus is so far from the nearest Godcity that it is collectively referred to as the Wildlands.

History and Culture

During Ragnarok, the Ancients who crashed in the Godcity cluster found themselves immediately under siege by the Unliving armies of Pallas. Though some of the more military minded among the Ancients wanted to fight to the bitter end, eventually the Godcities were abandoned. Those Ancients who landed in other areas of Olympus were relatively lucky, as the attention of the Titans were focused on the Godcities near Tartarus.

In the Second Age, the people of Olympus prospered. Compared to the other major populated regions, the lands of Olympus were conducive to human civilization and the population grew to be the largest of any of the four major regions. The first Ascended to appear to humanity was Prometheus, who arrived in Olympus and restarted the Heart of Zues. The return of magic and eventual construction of the God-Road led to conflict throughout Olympus, but no single society came out on top. Thus, despite their geographical proximity, each Godcity has remained politically independent, and the lands of Olympus are known for their many independent city-states, even among the Exiled.

The one event that unified nearly the entire population of Olympus was when the forces of The Nile massed for an invasion in the later part of the Second Age. The army of Olympus that gathered to face the forces of The Nile was the largest ever assembled on Anesidora. After a victory over the vanguard of The Nile, this army pushed westward. Seeing no way to beat the forces of Olympus in open combat, the priests of The Nile overloaded and detonated the Hearts of many smaller Godcities. This catastrophic explosion of radioactive energy created the Lerna region, which is still poisoned today.

Before Fimbulwinter descended in earnest, the Godcity of Eunomia was the first to recognize its imminent arrival, and set the precedent of having the Spirits of the Godcities pick a limited number of people to be Chosen and survive Fimbulwinter safely. They sent messengers to every Godcity they could reach to encourage them to take the same approach to avoid unnecessary bloodshed from fighting for limited space within the Godcities.

In the Third Age, the Chosen of Olympus took different approaches to dealing with the Exiled. Apollo is known for its hardline views of Chosen superiority, while many other Godcities have integrated societies. After years of isolation from The Nile due to the Lerna catastrophe, trade has started to resume, utilizing the Chosen of Hephaestus, who have developed a Change that makes them immune to Lerna’s deadly radiation.