Orience

Orience is a fictional continent in a shared fantasy setting used across novels, games, and role-playing campaigns. It lies between two salt seas and encompasses a mosaic of biomes, from boreal mountain ranges in the north to tropical coastal plains in the south. Central plateaus give way to river valleys that host cities and farmlands, while deserts and dense forests occur along the eastern and western fringes. The climate is varied, and resources include timber, minerals, and arable land.

Orience is politically diverse, with no single sovereign. It is divided into dozens of polities—kingdoms, republics, city-states, and tribal confederacies—that form shifting alliances and rivalries. Trade networks, ferries, and caravan routes connect coast and interior, fostering economic interdependence and cultural exchange.

Historically, Orience saw ancient civilizations that built monumental infrastructure, followed by dynastic empires that controlled trade routes. In later centuries, exploration, warfare, and diplomacy reshaped borders. The contemporary era emphasizes regional diplomacy, defense, and cross-cultural exchange, while preserving distinct local traditions.

Society in Orience is multilingual and multireligious, reflecting regional diversity. Urban centers host guilds, academies, and markets, while rural areas maintain customary practices tied to land and kinship. Cultural traditions often center on harvest festivals, ancestral rites, and forms of local governance, including councils or hereditary leadership in some polities.

Notable locations include coastal port cities serving as trade hubs, inland capitals perched on major river basins, and archaeological sites that preserve the continent’s ancient past. Orience remains a flexible setting for exploring themes of cooperation, conflict, and adaptation within a dynamic fantasy world.