The Worlds of Nicki Chapelway: Part Two Illesya

Today we're continuing my blogging series that focuses on each of my fantasy worlds with a post about Illesya.

Illesya is the world from my Snow White retelling Winter Cursed.

Illesya is an island that has been trapped in a never-ending winter for nearly two decades. It was once comprised of three kingdoms Havenkeep, Alain, and Mooraven. However, Havenkeep and Alain were later joined through a marriage alliance, and after a grueling seven year long war Mooraven was defeated. Now a single kingdom remains, Havenkeep to rule supreme over the war-torn land.

Long ago, the fae roamed the island, long ago, the fae left. All that remains of them is a wellspring of magic, an enchanted forest, where many creatures dwell that are extinct elsewhere in Illesya.

Climate and Terrain: Alain lies to the northernmost part of the island at the foot of a great mountain range known as the Skalvanian mountains, the home of the dwarfs. Havenkeep is in the center of the island and Mooraven to the south. The enchanted woods lies between Havenkeep and Mooraven.

The climate in Illesya is unchanging, it is cold and snowy and the sun has not been seen for eighteen years. Very few crops can flourish in this climate and as such, the people of Illesya are constantly on the verge of starvation.

Creatures and Monsters: There are many creatures that dwell in Illesya, from giant spiders and bats, garmrs (large wolf-like creatures), and draugrs (shuffling dead), to great wyverns. But since the fae left so long ago, they have been slowly dying out. Now they primarily dwell in the enchanted woods or near the Skalvanian mountains. Dwarves live in the mountains, and the occasional unicorn roams the plains of Alain.

Other creatures such as nymphs exist in the spirit plane and have little to do with the mortal sphere.

Wights were once man and can only be created by the most powerful sorceresses.

Political Atmosphere: Havenkeep is ruled by a king or queen who is advised by a circle of lords.

Ever since the king of Havenkeep died, his widow, the former queen of Alain has been ruling as regent until her stepdaughter comes of age. But rumor has it the princess has displeased the queen regent and has since been sent to live in a secluded castle far from the capital.

King Morren of Mooraven is assumed dead and has been ever since the end of the seven year's war, his son, however, was exiled to the enchanted forest where supposedly he died long ago...

Magic: Creatures such as nymphs have their own abilities, to control the weather and the seasons, however there are very few humans who possess any sort of magic and those who have it come by it through unnatural means.

Sorceresses, women hailing primarily from Alain, who mix potions that grant them abilities, such as to turn men into wights—mindless nearly indestructible servants— or to steal a lifeforce of another person.

Witches an order of women who stole their abilities at the creation of magic. They possess the ability to wield flames, control shadows, speak to crows, and cheat death at least once...

Dark Lords, King Morren of Mooraven made a bargain with a witch and in turn she gave him a portion of her powers. He and his line are capable of controlling shadows and speaking to crows.

Princess Elisabeth is a half-nymph and has the ability to control ice, which was inherited from her mother, however since nymphs largely avoid the affairs of men, this is a very rare occasion.

Religion: At the dawn of time, a great and nameless creator made a tree. This tree was named the tree of life and the first of all his creations each took a fruit from it. The fae took the fruit of magic, the nymphs of the elements, the dwarfs of craftmanship... and so on, until one by one all the fruits had been eaten save for one final one. The fruit left for the creator's lowliest of creations: humans. All that was left for them to eat was the fruit of mortality.

There was one woman among the humans who got greedy, she snatched up several bites of the fruits of magic and immortality, wrongfully taking more power than she should have ever been allowed. She was the first witch, and her daughters will forever be of that accursed race.

Later, the sorceresses discovered that potions could be used to grant them power, but this too was a sacrilege against the creator.

In the center of Havenkeep there is a temple to this creator, and the people of Havenkeep honor the tree of life by having it be their official insignia.

If you would like to know more about Illesya, you can check out Winter Cursed.