This is the northwestern province of Tora Danya. Oceanward earns it name from the fact that most of the settled land lies along the northern seacoast. Oceanward is one of the few provinces to have an official division of its regions, containing East Oceanward and West Oceanward.

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-GEOGRAPHY-

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Landscape

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Much of the inland region is taken up by the massive Tammerlyn Forest, which continues to be the province’s main feature even after centuries of slow deforestation. Also notable is the Dunwood Forest, a coastal woodland known for its sturdy wood and confusing paths. The Eventide River flows north through the Tammerlyn and empties onto the shore near Kole’s Crown. The Westwood river flows out of the Carmine Mountains and into the Tammerlyn, where it merges with the Eventide.

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The western edge of Oceanward is formed by the Carmine Mountains, named for the reddish glow that bleeds over their peaks when the sun begins to set. Their highest summit is Redwind, a colossal two-peaked mountain that measures at 9, 965 feet at its apex and has been measured as the second-highest point in Tora Danya. The lowest depths of its caverns have not yet been located.

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Major Settlements

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Oceanward’s capital city is Kole’s Crown, a massive seaport that marks the spot where East and West Oceanward divide.  Other notable cities include: Tidewater, a smaller but no less bustling port to the west; Uriah and Barring, both active mining centers at the feet of the Carmines; and Ashby, a monastic retreat that slowly grew into a burgeoning pilgrimage site despite its remote location in the lesser-trodden fields of East Oceanward. The tiny fishing village of Sealight Cove, home to Leah and Jonah Godfrey, lies on the coast of East Oceanward, just east of the Dunwood.

 

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-HISTORY -

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Formation

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At the end of the FA, the northern regions of Ladinia were commanded by a trusted royal general called Sorian. Following the assassination of the royal family, conflict rose between the religious northwest and the affluent northeast-- which would later become Oceanward and Orandel. Sorian attempted to police both sides, but before Lord Regent Crael could come to his aid, he was killed in an anti-Monarchy revolt against the crown that sprang up close to the Antinee River. While the true face behind the revolt was never found, it tore the north apart. Those in the northwest blamed the aristocrats to the east; those in the northeast swore the “zealots” to the west were to blame. Trust deteriorated and both sides withdrew, leading to a complete division of the north.

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When Ladinia crumbled, the leaders that rose to form Oceanward were pious and devout. They offered citizens the protection of the gods. For much of the SA, the vast Tammerlyn shielded the shoreline inhabitants from the wars to the south, while their rivals to the east, in Orandel, refused to communicate with the rest of the land. As a result, Oceanward’s people were left in relative peace to study mythology and literature. At this time, monks at Ashby began to convert legend into written word, but much of the story had been scattered and destroyed.

 

Tora Danya

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Near the end of the SA, King Samson of Oceanward, who traced his lineage to the god Amakar, experienced a vision in which he beheld the landmass reunited by a Bowenian king called Edgar, son of Edwulf. Knowing his bloodline, the monks at Ashby declared his vision a holy revelation. Samson’s son, Joshua, experience the same revelation. Partway through Joshua’s reign, Edwulf indeed rose to be the next King of Bowen. Joshua helped him to groom his son for the task of reuniting the land. He is thus credited for playing a vital role in the raising of Edgar the Great and the creation of Tora Danya.

 

Politics

 

After playing a substantial role in helping to unite Tora Danya, Oceanward’s ruling family became a trusted ally of the new Monarchy and eagerly selected as the first peers of the realm. Time and again, they proved loyal, advancing from barons to earls, until the year 1488 TA, when Angelica Fairbairn, daughter of King Graham, first of the Fairbairn line, married the Earl Christopher Hastings. The familial connection increased the Hastings’ stake in the throne, and Graham’s last act was to elevate them to dukedom.

The Hastings family are direct descendants of Solomon and Joshua. It is said that they too possess the blood of Amakar; indeed, latent psychic abilities have manifested in random generations, usually in women. The family remain a staunch supporter of the Monarchy. The Hastings army is one of the largest in the kingdom, well-armed and impeccably disciplined, and have been known to turn the tide of battle.

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As of 1561, Oceanward is administered by Duke Phillip Hastings and Duchess Victoria.

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-ECONOMY​-

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Most of the cities and towns lie scattered across the coast and persist on a strong interior economy of fishing and trading. However, a large part of the exterior economy centers around mining gems and ore from the Carmine Mountains, which are then shipped to neighboring provinces at a healthy sale price.

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-DEMOGRAPHY AND CULTURE-

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As of 1561 TA, Oceanward houses roughly 3,000,000 heads. They are a strong, good-hearted people who tend to be enthusiastic about farming, fishing, and trading. Dockhands and merchants at the ports consider themselves to be the “welcoming crew” to all visitors from the north. They are hospitable and take pride in leaving a good first impression on travelers.

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The Hunters have guildhalls in Kole’s Crown and Uriah. Word has it that they are constantly at odds with a guild of thieves centered around the Carmines.

 

Religion

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Living off the sea, Oceanward’s citizens pray to Kole, but his wife Colondra, Goddess of Fire, also receives a fair amount of attention. In fact, perhaps due to some of the philosophy that was preserved in Oceanward throughout the SA, it is one of the few provinces that pays due homage to both the Konalira (nature gods) and Erythira (spirit gods) in healthy balance. It’s also one of the few region still actively worshipping Lanadain, the primal Goddess of Balance.

 Some less-educated areas in East Oceanward, such as Sealight Cove, show less interest in religion beyond simple superstition.