Region: The Nile

The Nile

The Nile is located to the southwest of Tartarus and is home to most of the Horus fleet of Godcities that survived the Fall. Horus is the largest flagship Godcity on Anesidora and home to the original Admiral of the Ancient fleet. There are seven major populated Godcities located in The Nile, all along major rivers, as well as three major Godcities that have revived Hearts but no significant human population due to their location in the waste. The unique attributes of The Nile River have led the region to develop differently than the other populated areas of Anesidora, especially with respect to the divide between Chosen and Exiled.

Geography

The Nile borders the sea of Lir to the west, Gaul to the north, Tartarus to the northeast, Olympus to the east, and the fire wastes of Muspelheim to the south. The borders with Tartarus and Muspelheim are massive mountain ranges, while the borders with Olympus and Gaul would be relatively open, except that the poisoned region of Lerna blocks most travel to Olympus, and a vast frozen void make land travel to Gaul very difficult.

Most of The Nile region consists of frozen wasteland, a perpetual tundra devoid of even the most basic plant life. The exact opposite is true along the of The Nile River. The Nile River cuts its way through the southern half of The Nile region, originating in the Muspelheim Mountains and flowing into the Kronos region of Tartarus. In addition to being the largest river system on Anesidora, The Nile River also has the benefit of never freezing, even during the long winters of Ragnarok and Fimbulwinter.

Away from The Nile River, the only other area with a large population is around the Godcity of Sekhmet, located on the northern border with Gaul.

History and Culture

During Ragnarok, the Ancients who crashed in The Nile fared better than most. Many of the Godcities were able to perform controlled crashes and land close enough to The Nile River, which provided enough food and warmth to stave off the worst of the long winter. The Admiral also survived the Fall, and the presence of a respected leader allowed the Ancients in the region to maintain a sense of unity and purpose. Even in the Third Age, The Nile region is ruled by a direct descendant of the original Admiral.

The transition to the Second Age was less extreme for the people of The Nile. Though life during Ragnarok was difficult, and the magic of the Ancients was lost, all the people in The Nile maintained a single cohesive culture and had the largest population of any region at the start of the Second Age. When other regions were just starting to establish permanent communities, the Admiral was already planning to reunite all Anesidora under the rule established by the Ancients. Even before the arrival of the Ascended, the military forces of The Nile were able to travel north to the border with Gaul, and reclaim the Godcity of Sekhmet that had been overrun by dangerous wildlife.

Once the Ascended arrived, reactivating the Godcity Hearts and building the God-Road, the ambitions of the Admiral only grew. Believing themselves to be the rightful ruler of all humanity, the Admiral invaded north into Gaul, conquering vast tracts of land, but failing to maintain control so far from Horus. Following the failed occupation of Gaul, the Admiral attempted to invade Olympus, since it was geographically closer to The Nile River. News of the coming invasion found its way to the people of Olympus, and instead of finding an easy land to conquer, the Admiral encountered the largest army ever assembled on Anesidora. In a panic, the priesthood of The Nile detonated the heart of a god, creating the Lerna region, cutting off Olympus and The Nile until the Third Age.

Any future desires for conquest came to an end with the arrival of Fimbulwinter. Due to the warm waters of The Nile River, most of the region’s population did not have to hide inside the Godcities to survive, and only Sekhmet ended up locking its doors. Although The Nile does not have a Chosen-Exiled divide, The Nile has a rigid caste system, and believes anyone in the Citizen Caste or greater is the equivalent of the Chosen.

In the Third Age, The Nile was reunited with its northern Godcity of Sekhmet, but attempts to expand into other populated regions have largely ended. Instead, the Admiral sees expanding into Tartarus and using irrigation projects to reclaim more wasteland as the best means to expand the power and influence of The Nile.