Map of my fantasy world

Hello!

This map relates to few pieces I've uploaded here, namely these:
penuser.deviantart.com/art/Mag…
penuser.deviantart.com/art/Nig…
penuser.deviantart.com/art/Rit…

They are all little snapshots from this world I've been planning every now and then- thinking about its history and peoples, how exactly magic works in this world and what are its limitations. Generally speaking I've set some loose boundaries for it, for example magic is something pretty much everyone is able to learn but it's really only accessible to very few people. Mages tend to take only a few students in the course of their careers and they usually demand that the applicant can already demonstrate some skill in the chosen style. This in turn means that magic is usually reserved for people who are able to pay the mage in question for their valuable time to teach them the basics to even apply to be their actual apprentice. However if someone were to show up to a mage's doorstep able to perform basic magic, there's no reason for the mage to refuse the apprentice applicant other than personal reasons of course. This all has to do with the story I've been thinking about perhaps for a webcomic but made so that I can have it printed if I like.

That said I'd like to elaborate a bit on this world and the different factions in it. I've mainly based the factions on some real-world examples or combinations of them which is apparent from the names that appear on the map. Note to anyone who wants to read further though: I've listed some of the main points and some stories about the factions and peoples inhabiting this world here but I've thought of a backstory to each location named on the map, some longer and some shorter in case I use them for the story, possibly. Feel free to ask about them if you like.

There is the large empire on the southern portion of the of the continent, the Tengherii Empire, composed of several provinces each with their own distinct culture they had from before the tengherii army conquered them. The tengherii themselves are a steppe people from the great steppe to the east from where they first emerged on a campaign westward several hundred years before, crushing a small empire which spanned the now- far east province of the empire. Nothing is known of this empire, but the ruins the tengherii left. Here the tengherii maintained a small steppe empire for a few hundred years centered around their year-round encampment at the First camp, causing only minor border disturbances with the Niranan, Nashian and Vendian kingdoms. This all changed when the Great Conqueror, Emperor Tenge ascended to the leadership of the combined tengherii tribes. His ambition was vast and he soon commanded to first campaign westward, attacking the vendians through the vendian pass- now known as blood pass. A few campaigns later, the vendians were able to push back the tengherii force albeit sustaining huge casualties. There the first campaigns of Tenge led to the formation of the Vorgudan Union.

After failing his assault through blood pass, Tenge turned south conquering the weakened and decadent Niranan kingdom in a swift campaign. Here Tenge thought at first to halt his advance and consolidate the new territory he had conquered but this was not to be as a few years after the Niranan conquest Tenge fell from his horse while surveying the borders of the empire. He fell unconsious for several days and the empire was close to collapse through infighting but Tenge returned- with a much greater ambition. He claimed to have had a vision from the gods, being commanded to not let his blade rest until all the lands to the west were conquered for the tengherii gods. Tenge soon organized his empire in a completely new mobile way, moving westward with a fast pace crossing the rivers of the fertile plains and starting settlements such as Tengara in the empire's south. Few armies of the day could stand in the way of the tengherii advance and the only real threat to his advance came from an alliance between the Moravan and Gervanian kingdoms. Taking a heroic victory in a battle crossing the sword river at a city now known as Tenge's fist, the Great Conqueror soon subjugated the Gervani and Moravan peoples, setting up the Imperial City on the western coast.

Since the initial conquest over a hundred years ago the empire has held together by the dynasty of Tenge's successors ruling in name from the Imperial City but mainly holding their court at the Dynasty palace- a citadel which houses the palace close to Tengara. Some rebellions have sprung up, but the only successful one so far has been the Rangherii religious rebellion in which a tribal splinter faction established a religious state to the northern shore of the Shallow Sea. 

Other factions to name are the Drimani to the north, much like Italy of the 14th-15th century reneissance with their city states constantly fighting for a small bit of land or a little village- any excuse really for the city councils to expand their power. The Drimani occasionally gather in an alliance if threatened by an external enemy like Graechia of Burguvidal and the Alliance City is considered sacred ground, not to be fought over- which of course makes it the most disputed territory of the whole peninsula. This is also the place where my initial comic story idea is set to start in...

Graechia is an ancient nation with thousands of years of history ruled by the king of kings, the Dictatos from the capital Thetana. The culture can be described as- you guessed it, classical greek/byzantene culture but as if it had evolved in a more northern climate. They have also had cultural exchange with their neighbors to the north, the Kingdom of Landmark. This kingdom was established in ancient times by a seafaring people much like the old scandinavian cultures. From Landmark, these people journeyed westward and established the six small island kingdoms, Kragemark, Milumark, Harwegen, Dradhar, Mirhar and Lechar(the entirety of which is pictured in the nightfall in the small kingdom-pic). They share much of the same culture, but are in many ways much more crude and brutal being historically known for being raiders and pirates in unstable times.

To the extreme north of the continent there are few civilized peoples, if any. Many raider tribes, steppe peoples and occasional adventurers seeking gold or other fortunes inhabit the lands north of River Vendium. The northwest Iron Valley however is home to the Fenoan tribes, a collection of small tribes known for their hardiness, brutality, tribal shamans and blood sacrifices. They are often seen as mercenaries in the armies of the south but rarely tolerated for long due to their odd customs and blood rituals. Very warlike, the tribes fight each other and often go raiding Landmark in hopes of stealing valuables or slaves.    


Original A3, 0.3mm mechanical pencil.