Dr. J'an
The world of Eden is divided into vast landmasses known as continentals. These formations differ greatly from what other scholars classify as ordinary continents. A continental is not merely a large island of land surrounded by water; rather, it is an immense territorial body whose scale often equals the combined size of three or four conventional continents. Because of this extraordinary size, a single continental may contain mountain systems that stretch for thousands of miles, forests that exist as ecosystems larger than entire nations, and deserts capable of swallowing civilizations if poorly managed.
Within the borders of a single continental one may find climates ranging from frozen polar environments to humid jungles and dry interior plains. Rivers become the lifelines of civilizations, and seas that sit within continentals themselves may rival the size of external oceans. Travel across such distances is rarely trivial. Even with the assistance of magic'e, caravans and expeditions often require months or years to cross from one edge of a continental to the other.
Current scholarly consensus recognizes thirteen continentals across Eden. While the number itself is widely accepted, the precise boundaries of several remain debated due to shifting coastlines, unexplored territories, and regions considered too dangerous for sustained survey.
Despite their geographic independence, continentals rarely exist as politically unified entities. Instead, most are broadly aligned beneath the authority of one of three dominant powers that shape global politics.
The first of these authorities is the network of noble dynasties collectively known as the Great Five Houses. These houses maintain influence across multiple continentals through ancient claims of sovereignty, overwhelming military capability, and the loyalty of vast aristocratic lineages that trace their heritage back to the founders of these families. Among these figures stands Sunpō, whose authority and reputation alone have shaped political structures across entire regions of the world.
The second dominant authority arises from religious power rather than noble lineage. This institution, commonly referred to as The Faith, commands the devotion of millions across several continentals. Its influence is maintained through doctrine, sacred law, and a network of temples and clergy who govern both spiritual life and political stability in the territories under their supervision.
The third great authority operating across continentals is the organization known as the The Enforcers. Unlike the Great Houses or the Faith, the Enforcers are not defined by lineage or belief but by their role as a stabilizing force within the world's volatile balance of power. Their presence is often tolerated even by rival factions, as their intervention can prevent conflicts from escalating into catastrophes capable of destabilizing entire continentals.
However, the dominance of these powers does not imply absolute political unity within any continental. In practice, a continental functions less as a single nation and more as a massive collection of vassal states.
Each continental is composed of dozens—sometimes hundreds—of independent nations, city-states, kingdoms, republics, tribal confederations, and territorial domains. These states possess their own governments, legal traditions, cultural identities, and interpretations of freedom. Some are centralized monarchies ruled by powerful dynasties, while others operate through councils, merchant guilds, or militaristic regimes.
The diversity found within a single continental can be staggering. Languages shift gradually across borders. Religious traditions compete for followers. Trade networks develop between distant regions that may never share cultural similarities. In many ways, the internal political landscape of a continental resembles an entire world condensed within a single landmass.
Despite this diversity, all vassal states within a continental remain subject to the overarching laws imposed by the authority that governs that landmass. These laws vary depending on the ruling power but often include regulations concerning warfare, taxation, magical research, and diplomatic allegiance. Violations of these laws may provoke intervention from the dominant authority, whether through military force, economic sanctions, or the deployment of specialized agents.
Because individual states retain significant autonomy, conflict between neighboring nations within the same continental is not uncommon. Wars over borders, trade routes, natural resources, and political influence occur frequently. Two rival kingdoms may share the same overarching ruler yet still wage open war against one another. Such conflicts are generally permitted provided they do not violate the fundamental regulations established by the power overseeing the continental.
This arrangement produces a political structure that might best be described as layered sovereignty. Local rulers govern their own nations, but above them stands a greater authority capable of enforcing continental law.
Maintaining order across territories of such immense scale would be impossible without administrative systems capable of managing vast distances. For this reason, dominant powers typically appoint governors, noble overseers, or institutional representatives to supervise regions within their continentals. These figures act as intermediaries between the ruling authority and the many vassal states beneath it, ensuring that laws are followed and that tribute, resources, or political loyalty are properly maintained.
In this way, continentals function not as unified civilizations but as sprawling geopolitical ecosystems—vast territories where independent nations pursue their own ambitions while remaining bound beneath the shadow of a greater power.
Such systems of rule have endured for centuries because they provide a practical solution to governing landmasses of extraordinary size. Direct control over every nation within a continental would be impossible even for the most powerful rulers. Instead, authority flows downward through layers of allegiance, obligation, and political pressure.
Thus, when historians describe a continental as belonging to a particular house or institution, the phrase should not be interpreted as absolute ownership. It signifies supremacy—the recognition that, among the many powers operating within that landmass, one stands above the others.
And beneath that supremacy lies a restless network of rival states, competing cultures, and shifting alliances, all struggling for advantage within the enormous stage that is Eden.