Insohm¶
The Order of Insohm, also known as the Insohmic Order or simply Insohm (pronounced "in-sAWm"), was a large alliance/loose federation that dominated Drehmal (especially the East) during the mid and late Third Avihm.
Founded by Masters Hovadchear Myrik and Ultva Utofal in the Spearhead Forest region, the Order united many of the states left in the wake of Avsohm's sudden disappearance in an attempt to return to the glory days of Avsohmic rule. Out of the many political powers that existed in Av3, Insohm came the closest to replicating Avsohm's technology and territorial extent, but still fell well short of their predecessor's unity and prestige.
Insohm fell into instability with the disappearance of its founder and original headquarters of Castle Hovadchear, and was ruled for some time by Master Vahid before it effectively dissolved with the departure of Virtuo, marking the end of the Third Avihm.
Today, over a hundred years since the departure of its Goddess, Insohm exists in name only, confined exclusively to the Insohmic Commonwealth in southern Spearhead Forest and the lone airship ICS Arbiter.
History¶
Insohm formed at some point in the mid-Third Avihm, a few centuries after the Fall of Avsohm and the beginning of Av3. It was co-founded by Hovadchear Myrik and Ultva Utofal, whom together took the titles of "Master of Insohm". Insohm is first recorded as being a loose trade federation around Av3 500, and rose to prominence due to its rediscovery of airship technology in Av3 509.
This allowed Drehmari use of airships for the first time since the fall of Avsohm, and Insohm strengthened into a more concrete political entity, known as the Insohmic Coalition or the Order of Insohm. Its capital city of Mossfield, a port city on the eastern coast of Spearhead Forest, became a massive hub for trade in a revitalized world, and Insohm quickly became a major player in world politics.
Over the course of the late Av3 500s, Insohm expanded through trade agreements to lead a broad alliance of eastern states, including those in Highfall, Akhlo'Rohma, and Faehrcyle.
In Av3 600, the Insohmic Civil War broke out following a massacre of civilians by separatist militias, and an 11-year civil war would follow. During this time, an Insohmic airship passed over Tidal Dynasty airspace, bringing the people of the Black Jungle into the war as well. Insohmic loyalists would win the war, establishing Insohm as the major power in the east for good, and the subsequent Tidal War saw the collapse of the Dynasty into the Parochial Enclave of Firteid, an Insohmic member state.
Following this shorter series of conflicts, Insohm began to harness some of the lost Avsohmic technology they had recovered, building powerful weapons such as the ICS Arbiter. Shortly afterwards, the Battle for Drehmal would begin: a centuries-long war of liberation, seeking to re-capture the west from the Empire of Maelihs. The Battle for Drehmal appears to have lasted for over 200 years, all the way until the end of Av3.
During the long Battle for Drehmal, Ultva became obsessed with Avsohmic technology, and was incredibly frustrated at his own people's inability to recreate it. With the location of the Rehntite Cave lost to time and the entrance to Mt. Yavhlix sealed off with impenetrable veilstone, Insohm lacked the ability to truly recreate the Miracle of Avsohm, and Ultva lost his mind chasing secrets in the Avsohmic Vault off the Casain coast. Shortly afterwards, Castle Hovadchear, the functional headquarters of the Order, mysteriously disappeared, along with both Masters.
An aimless Insohm was then left to infighting, until a new leader stepped forward: Vahid, a Virmari representative of Firteid and one of Virtuo's highest-ranking Grand Parishioners. As the new Master of Insohm, Vahid led a reinvigorated push in the Battle for Drehmal, leading the Order to recapture almost all of the west, even pushing deep into The Carmine and forcing Mael's armies to retreat to the Burnt Palace. However, it was at this time that Virtuo left for Eastern Xivrhynt, and took her entire Grand Parish with her, including Vahid. Leaderless again, Insohm truly did collapse this time.
Most of the west was reclaimed by Mael's forces, and member states became fully independent once again. Old Mossfield was burned down in a series of riots, leading to the construction of the much smaller town we see in-game. Today, Insohm does still technically exist, with its mobile base on the ICS Arbiter still considering itself to be representatives of the Order, as well as Mossfield.
Territory¶
A speculative map of the realm in Av3 700, around the time of Insohm's peak under Ultva and Hovadchear.
In the late Third Avihm, Insohm and its member states encompassed nearly the entire continent, even including lands in the Black Jungle that Avsohm never possessed. However, Insohm never did truly exert absolute authority over these other states. In the above map, all labeled political bodies except for Mael's Empire were allied with Insohm.
Insohm-related lore also gives us a picture of the states that were present at this point in history.
Technology¶
Insohm's technology was much less advanced than Avsohm's, although they did manage to harvest and repurpose enough Avsohmic technology to pose a significant threat to the Empire of Maelihs. Insohm's technological level has been compared to real-life Industrial Revolution-era European powers, falling well short of the futuristic sci-fi technology wielded by their predecessor.