Ordenna (originally spelled Ordena) is an island nation off the northwestern coast of Hieron and the birthplace of Hella Varal. Just north of Ordenna's northernmost peninsula are the Isle of Eventide and the tower of Severea.
History[edit | edit source]
“
And then, off the western coast of Rosemerrow, is the island nation of Ordenna, but you know all about that, don't you, Captain? All the smoke and fire of industry, the iron-clad ships, the humming metal of your island that is anathema to magic and anything like it? Survivors of the great storm all those years ago who fled and struggled and survived, divided into four clans, but united by their will to live. Oh, is it—it's three clans, now, isn't it?”
They are known as "the land spared from the Erasure" and, in fact, the island seems not to have existed prior to the calamity. The island is led by three clans, or bloods, though a fourth blood once existed.
At some point in the past, a moment of great catastrophe combined the spiritual and civil heads of state into one position, the Vicereine.
Formation[edit | edit source]
Ordenna was created as an effect of experiments with the Heat and the Dark done by mages of The Last University. Though formed from land that was once part of Hieron, its creation separated it from the mainland. The god Samol's body changed to reflect this, with a piece of his shoulder separating from him and floating in the air alongside him.[1]
The island was settled by Wander Aviz and other former inhabitants of Nacre who did not want to be sealed away from the world by Tristero.
Culture[edit | edit source]
Ordennans are known for their high level of technology, their expansionist tendencies, and their strong stances against magic and the undead.
After successful expeditions, Ordennans traditionally light fires on their shores.
Spirituality[edit | edit source]
Modern Ordennan life is relatively nonreligious, though secularized elements of past beliefs and holidays still exist. There are still people who have faith in Ordenna, built around the notion of bloodlines and family history; not quite ancestor worship but a tradition of honoring the dead and feeling pride of their family's accomplishment.
Dress[edit | edit source]
Most of the Ordennans seen in Friends at the Table have been members of the military, dressed in uniforms of black and gold.
Ordennan business wear consists of pants and loose, breathable shirts, with embroidery and bracelets as symbols of status (and in the case of some, such as Jerod Shiraz, multiple necklaces and jeweled hair accessories).