Worlds of the Nether: Svarloka

I am Karphat Preung, and I have the pleasure of introducing you to my world, Svarloka. I am very excited to represent Svarloka among a new group of arrivals. Since your people started appearing here a few months ago, many stories started crossing the Nether. Some say your world is “the First Ordering”. Some say it’s “the Last Light”, the final bastion standing against the Burning Legion. Well, when it comes to the latter legend, either that isn’t happening for centuries or someone failed to notice all of us here. And I wouldn’t be surprised if they did – if we can hide from the Burning Legion that well, we can hide from others. But do not fear, I see many opportunities for both our worlds – and for others as well. We are not as far apart as you might imagine.

There are many stories about the origins of our world, but most agree with the version shivan priests propagate. Eight thousand years ago, Svarloka was a chaotic world, tattered by untamed elements and with the few native inhabitants hiding in fear from their raw power. But then, the Titans came. The great metallic gods descended from the skies on their fiery chariots and tamed the world, shaping it to their liking. The Titans now knew about the threats waiting for us out there and left us prepared. When they left, they left behind warnings that would prepare us to fight against the Burning Legion and the Old Gods, the two great evils seeking to extinguish all life in the universe. The shivans were left with prophecies, speaking of the “burning shadow” and the “rains of chaos”, and the only way to defeat it – the Army of Lights, the harmonious union of multiple worlds, united against the darkness.

In those eight thousand years, many things have changed. The shivans and the humans, two most populous titanic races, spread across the world and left their mark. Deep in the jungles of the southern continent of Daityarna, the snake-like vishkanyas who once served the gods of chaos and darkness continued to fight against the quick-breeding humans. But the vishkanyas were not eliminated. In the end, they cross-bred with the humans and after many generations, the modern vishkanyas came to be – nearly human in appearance, with few traits of their serpentine ancestors, such as eyes and fangs. Few “pureblood vishkanyas” still live deep within the jungles and avoid other races, but they are of no consequence.

Similar fate befallen the garudas. They are a bird-like race that lived on mountaintops, far above the elemental chaos, and worshiped the sun for protection against the storms. When the Titans came, they uplifted the garudas and used their help in spreading their relics. As a reward, garudas were rewarded with powerful titanic solar beacons that channel our sun’s power and grant the garuda spires supremacy. Humans reached them too, but interacted on friendly terms. After centuries, they too cross-bred and now few garudas remain. Instead, the human-like plumekiths arose, humanoids with sharp features, feathers instead of hair and pointed talons on their fingers and toes. The garudas still hold the keys to their Titanic beacons, but they now share many responsibilities with the plumekiths.

That’s all about Daityarna. There is also our continent, the great and resplendent Naravasa. Here, many of the dominant races of our world arose. Most of the human realms flourish here and (most of the time) peacefully trade with each other. Or raid each other to gain gold to build bigger and better temples, but that’s such a rude practice everyone’s trying to root out, when it’s not temple-building season. Among them, the three shivan realms sit in glory. Each centered around a temple Titans left us, the shivans maintain the sacred knowledge and protect us against the “stench of Naraka”, the depredations of the Burning Legion and those who follow them. These tall, statuesque, multi-armed priests and warriors remain the ideal for many humans, and enemies for those who seek to throw our world into chaos.

I would be remiss if I did not mention my people, the yakshas. We come from a completely different continent, Duramba, a vast desert of primitive clan-leaders who keep clashing over every oasis. Two thousand years ago, our more forward-minded people came to Naravasa and began using our natural talents for commerce and mathematics to help the peoples of this land. In this time, we carved out a few small republics of our own, but mostly, we spread among other nations and make sure everything flows nicely, from gold to food to oil. Though humans were at first reluctant to let us among them, the shivans saw our arrival in a prophecy and knew we would be absolutely necessary in the Army of Lights. And here we are, making contacts with new worlds.

The nsing are a race of large, elephant-like wandering sages who come from Daityarna and continue to cultivate their own customs which seem strange but at the same time alluring to many of the peoples of Naravasa. They ward off the demons in their own ways and keep to themselves, until they need to trade with us. Most have great respect for the strange nsing, but there are those who fear them as double agents. I think these are merely more statements born of hatred and ignorance. I am sure that when the reckoning comes, they will stand on our side.

We cannot forget other races that live on our great world. There are the ratfolk who come from the north of Naravasa. They are quick and skittish and rarely stick their tiny noses into the affairs of other people. Many consider them pests who steal and scavenge, but these are unfounded accusations. A similar race, hamsterlings, live in Duramba, but unlike the herd-minded ratfolk, they are loners with quite a penchant for destruction, despite their diminutive stature. They make great mages and demolitionists, but as they rarely care about others in their teams, they are regarded poorly. A race of great whales who sing beautiful, haunting songs instead of speaking lives in the oceans, but few ever communicated with them or understands them in the slightest.

There are also, of course, wayangs. Many are unsettled by them. They are commonly believed to be a natural race, but some believe they are a fallen Titanic creature. They live in scattered islands between Naravasa and Daityarna. Their strange, elongated features and stunted, unnatural manner of movement, resembling theatrical puppets, unsettles many. Even more are unsettled by their practices, as they worship shadowy gods and dark spirits and believe they return to the void upon death. However, despite many awful stories about them, they are very kind and welcoming people who simply prefer the shadows to the brightness of day.

Much like your Azeroth, and unlike some worlds we’ve encountered, we have advanced magic, thanks to the Well of Power. It’s a great fount of magically-powered water, sitting at the center of the greatest shivan temple, from which every mage on our world draws their power. Mages and priests of great power are as common as on Azeroth as we constantly train to prepare for the inevitable coming of the Legion. We constantly fight against those who would seek to undo this order, and the few demons who manage to sneak through. Some believe it is only a matter of time before the demons invade us, but the shivan prophecies assure us – we will not fall before the Army of Light comes to fruition and we march out with them to end the demonic threat once and for all.