First of all apologies for the long silence, I’ve been rather busy lately. I’m currently taking a break editing ‘Reign in Hell: A Gothic Romance’ and revising my other fantasy project set in Gragiyan Empiure universe- ‘A War of Blood, Mountains and Sand’ the prequel novel to ‘Tiriyanin’s Riddles’. ‘A War of Blood, Mountains and Sand’ is an epic fantasy set thirty years before ‘Tiriyanin’s Riddles’. It tells the story of Emperor Tiriyanin’s father Emperor Vecatian II and his adventures during the five year with with Misoa.

As I have covered some of the Gragiyan provinces in earlier posts, I figured now would be a good time to talk about their neighbours and former enemies, the Northern nation of Misoa. Misoa was inspired by Viking era Scandinavia. Their is renowned for its cold climate, harsh winters and dense pine woods. Misoans were a nation of farmers and fishermen whose harsh climate drove them to raid the Gragiyan Empire as means to improve their economy and living standards. That’s how the war began. After the war they began trading with the Empire, as part of an agreement between King Arkon and Emperor Vecatian II, a wise move that proved incredibly advantageous for both nations.

Misoans are fair skinned and many of them have either blond or red hair. With regards to their religion, they worship a holy trinity of deities known as the Maesen: Ursa, the giant bear, god of the earth, life and death, Asera, the giant wolf, the god of the sky and Auroga, the sea serpent god. Unlike Gragiyans, who only offer flowers, jewels or fruit to their gods, Misoans sacrifice animals, typically goats or sheep to the Maesen. Their royalty are addressed with the titles of ‘Ursa Rigu’ (meaning King) and Ursa Ringa (meaning Queen). The term reflects their connection to the god Ursa, whom they believe to be descended from. The royal family including the spouses and children from the age of eight also bear tattoos of the Maesen.

Here’s a post war map of The Gragiyan Empire and Misoa by Skylar Woakes, https://www.behance.net/skylarwoakes1

https://www.instagram.com/skylarwoakes.

This map dates from the reign of Emperor Tiriyan’s cousin King Erkyl. Idursa is their capital city and the seat of the royal family. Other major cities include the two main ports Asiral and Aurogaron and the mountain fortress of Montreden. Varges was a small fishing village that was destroyed during the war and rebuilt decades later.