The Empire of the Seven Continents

The Empire of the Seven Continents is set on the planet of Tayaara, as it is known on Tamarud. There are an unknown number of continents on Tayaara, but there are more than the seven in the Empire, though not all are inhabited. Only the Emperor knows what other continents exist, and he is constantly exploring and looking for new continents.

While it can be guessed where on the planet the different continents exist based on things like climate and amount of daylight, no one knows exactly where each continent is. The continents are presented here in order of their relative importance to the events of the Imperial Saga. Select the continent for more information.

All maps drawn by Anne Winchell

Issues with Travel

Traveling between the continents on Tayaara through ordinary means has long been a dream, but for unknown reasons this remains nothing but a dream. There are a variety of theories on this that shift with each new continent discovered. The current theory proposed by the Professors is that an invisible barrier exists around each continent so that no matter how far one seems to travel, they can’t leave their continent’s space. 

History of Travel Attempts by Continent

Alongra

Alongra: as decreed by traditions old, when a dragon lost its partner, they were to take flight into the vast expanses of the heavens. There they would ascend high to where stars live and take their place with the Great Dragon. This right of the expanse of the world is said to belong only to the dragons, and thus, no person may claim this right. However, when the figure known as the Emperor came, he showed himself as the messenger of the Great Dragon by having come from the expanse.

Estova

Estova: despite Estovia's tranquil life of agriculture, they too dream of the lands beyond the sea's end. Amelia Bell worked the fields like any other, until she was met by a vision from a saint. It led her to set sail to find the Emperor's home against his will. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, yet she never returned, until one day, her ship was found in the nearby reefs, obliterated. She, however, remained gone, and her fate remains contested to this day.

Izuria

Izuria: in the land of Izuria, fire is worshipped. Its antithesis, water, is sinful, as are the shaman, bestowed with the gift of healing granted by Xandra, the goddess of water. Some of these shaman set sail on the most sacrosanct of all to the Izurians: the oceans. Those who wish to fulfill these voyages do so for a myriad of reasons: to some, it is a religious tribute to Xandra. Others, however, expect to return with grand tales of the lands beyond. To this day, not a single ship that left the sight of eyes has ever returned.

Krendia

Krendia: the Krendi people believe in the tale of the mythical Fejevanya. She is worshipped as a goddess by many, but some versions tell of her as a normal person. She is said to come from lands afar and discovered Krendia. She helped and guided Krendia to develop into a flourishing civilization. But as suddenly as she came, she left without warning, seeking other lands. It is said that a storm never since rivaled appeared in the path she took. While her fate will forever remain unknown, her legacy on Krendia continues to this day in the people.

Shem

Shem: the continent is cast in eternal darkness that extends as far as one can travel. This darkness remains absent on every other known continent. Legend says that in the distant past, Shem was bathed in light, and the same tales tell of people from distant lands who came to trade goods and stories. When the mythical witches shattered the light, they also severed the link with the other continents.

Kaehlar

Kaehlar: legend says that beyond the oceans lie only one thing: endless ice where winter never dies. Despite the ice believed to be awaiting them, many packs have set out on ships to see it with their own eyes. One pack is said to have sailed for weeks upon weeks, and only gave up when their supplies ran far too low to survive. Despite awaiting certain death from the lack of food, they returned to Kaehlar in days, not to whence they left, but to the very opposite side of Kaehlar.

Tamarud

Tamarud: the most famous of stories to tell about other lands is that of Lindelen, a phoenix grand and majestic who flew far and wide. When her strength faltered, she ignited and was consumed by the flames only to reborn in the castle of her creation. For months, she flew in different directions, each time igniting to be reborn on Tamarud. One day, she set off northeast and never returned. What came of her, whether she failed to continue the phoenix's cycle of rebirth or not, remains a mystery. What is known, however, is that no one ever saw her flames again.

Successful Travel

The Emperor on the deck of an airship, created by NightCafe

The Emperor of the Seven Continents is the only person with the ability to travel between continents using an ability that no one has been able to reproduce. Despite questions as to the nature of his abilities, the Emperor has never shared any hint of how he is able to travel or what exactly he does in order to travel.

Some believe that it is an ability from his own people, as he doesn’t come from any of the known continents and has never discussed where he came from. However, scholars point out that if there were a variety of people who could travel, then others would have found them. 

(Spoilers) A lucky few who are close to the Emperor know that it comes not from his people, but rather an event that happened to him and a friend at a young age. The details will be revealed in a later short story.

Dragon Knight Notes (Spoilers)

A seed used by the Emperor to travel within a continent’s airspace, created by NightCafe

The dragon knights are privy to several secrets about travel, including the Emperor’s travel methods within a continent. Upon first entering a continent, the Emperor always appears at a single, fixed point a certain distance off the coast. Once on a continent, however, he can travel almost instantly between what are known as seeds.

Seeds are strange devices that can be buried in the ground and activated by a dragon knight whose rank is topped out, meaning they have the highest rank available. Once activated, the Emperor can travel to the space above the seed.

Upon first reaching a continent, the dragon knights are sent along with any dragon knights who are topped out to cover as much of the continent as possible and plant seeds so that the Emperor can more easily bring troops and dragon knights to the main continent. On some continents, weather plus a lack of a high-ranking dragon knight have led to large spans of space without any seeds.