The Continent of Scionos

About Scionos

Adventures in Ordinem start in the content of Scionos. Surrounded by inland seas and nestled between other continents, Scionos is a place that has been fought over by giants, dragons, elves, orcs and worse, but now by humans.

Long, long ago the elves called this continent Sylvanos. It was named because it was mostly forested and nature was strong. Verdant and enchanted forests stretched across the continent from west to east, between hills and mountains, with sacred rivers, lakes and groves. These lands were touched by the creation and fey were common, but there was always the threat of darker forces.

The elves fought long and hard to secure and to nurture this realm, and in so doing fended off terrible foes whose origins go back even to the beginning. However, they also waged war on others that dwelled in this region, some who had as much right to be there as they did. Such was the elven belief in their custodianship of this realm, and their superiority.

The creation god of the elves was angered at this hubris. Their mandate was to protect the order, not to dominate it and not to push aside all others, and so he cursed them with the orcs. The elves and the orcs vied and warred for millennia until the elves, out of desperation, called upon their old god one more time, for aid. Their ancient god was not pleased with the elves but took pity, after a fashion. The help they received was a mixed blessing, as it was human.

The Coming of Man

The elves nurtured the humans with love and knowledge, and saw in return that they were able at fending off the orcs. But humans are ambitious and started to dominate the lands. They were not so terrible as the orcs, but spread like a weed across the surface, and as they did so they cut the forests, divided the land into kingdoms, and pushed the elves aside.

In time the elves of Sylvanos conceded that the humans were better suited to holding off the orc threat, and so determined to emigrate from Sylvanos. They handed their ancient realm to the humans, and in so doing gave it the new name of Scionos.

Scionos and the Old Empire

By this time the humans had numerous kingdoms. However, thirteen centuries ago these lands were united into a single empire that spanned the southern half of Scionos. Called Simia, this was the creation of the first emperor, Simion, and the elves left the new Scionos in his custody. They gave him a magical crown known as the Diadem of Wisdom, that it aid him in his wise rule.

But humans are restless and ambitious peoples, and so this empire did not last. Distrust and deceit brought Simia down only 250 years after its creation, and its regions vied and fought amongst themselves for centuries to come. In the turmoil the northern hordes battled south, lead by the orcs, pushing the humans to the southern end of this continent. The magical diadem was lost, and took the new name The Empty Crown, for there was no longer any empire for a would be wearer to rule over.

Today many of those lands and regions have changed beyond recognition, and yet they still vie for power. But this brings us to the modern age, where infighting between humans, looming hordes to the north and lost treasure from the past provide unending opportunities for brave adventurers.

The Time of Adventure

Many adventures await in the continent of Scionos. The compendium “Ordinem: The Continent of Scionos” describes the contient, its regions, lands and peoples. This provides a wealth of information that adventures can be inspired by. As well as creating your own adventures, officially published adventures expand upon this compendium. See adventures and publications to find out more about how to make this world come alive for you and your players.

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