Post by Admin on Feb 17, 2012 0:43:00 GMT -5
Geography: The various provinces of Arcadia, in their own way, all embody the elements at their most primal, magical and beautiful. Fleur, in the west, is a giant hedge maze, sculpted to perfection and perpetually in bloom. To the north, snow-capped mountains and cliffs tower over the grassy hills and valleys of Hiems. The eastern grasslands of Sturm are dotted by mountains and cliffs, many with self-contained cities built into them. Many of the isles of Drang, in the south, are active volcanoes. Broad rivers run down from Sturm and Hiems, crossing to the west and south of the continent. In one aspect, all the lands are alike: plant life flourishes. Seen from above, the ground is most frequently a rich, vibrant green.
Weather: Summer is shortest in Hiems. It has longest winter and cool-to-cold weather all year round. The reverse is true of Drang, which has the longest summers, shortest winters and warmest weather, in addition to frequent but low-level volcanic activity. Sturm, as befits its name, experiences spectacularly violent storms at the turn of each season, but generally kinder weather the rest of the year through. Fleur's weather is the mildest of the four, as is needed for a garden maze to survive. It features gentle rains, warm sunlight, mild winds and the occasional winter snowfall.
Population: Humans are the most numerous, with Noble Fey presence edging in a close second. Wildfey are a fairly common sight, as are magical beasts, and Arcadia has one of the highest concentrations of sentient Elementals in the world. Beastfolk, on the other hand, are conspicuously absence.
Form of Government: The ruling structure follows the medieval hierarchy of Royalty, Nobility, Gentry, and lower classes. Noble Fey, and on rarer occasions Elementals and Wildfey, make up the ruling class, with humans as their subjects, vassals and servants. Some humans who find favor with their lords can rise to prominent positions among the gentry however.
Technology: Fey dominance and emphasis on preserving nature has kept innovation centuries behind nations like Greenwich, Alexandria and Ruthenia. Technology that could stunt or damage the natural order is banned, under pain of very unpleasant disciplinary action. Water is drawn from rivers and wells, food is farmed, foraged or hunted, candles and torches lit at night - at least, for those who don't have magic to make all of life's necessities come to them.
Favored Magics: While all five magics feature to sustain the land in the absence of modern technology, Spoken, Mental and Written magics are preferred by the courtiers as having the most style and elegance. Physical magic is considered more in the realm of hard labor, a task better suited to the peasants who tend to the land and their dwellings. Ingredients abound for Material users, but the art is practiced in careful moderation to limit the potential harm to nature that comes from collecting unicorn horn powder and harpy eggs.
Major Locations:
Fleur -
- Chateau Lutetia: A giant castle at the heart of Fleur, magically grown from the forest. The upper levels are reserved for the royal family, their guards and retainers, as well as a select few of their most trusted noble allies. Wild animals freely roam the lower levels, kept from outside disturbance or escape into the upper levels by a team of rangers.
- Avenio: A vineyard that stretches between several hills, tended by dryads and sprites. The grapes are said to have magical properties when used in certain brews, but few 'tourists' to the vineyard have sneaked close enough to confirm this.
- Marseille: A district overlooking the sea, with a port that incorporates the beach and offshore coral reef into its features.
Drang -
- Mount Fuego: The largest active volcanic island of the continent, it spouts lava and ash through numerous vents along its slope. Inhabitants of the island employ magic to redirect the lava flows and settle the fertile ash for planting their crops.
- Kratiras: An island in a caldera, larger than Mount Fuego, below sea level and protected by the high walls of the former volcano. A small jungle exists behind the walls, with a gleaming obsidian palace at its center. This palace houses the royal family of Drang.
- Gelassen: A coral reef joined to an island and lagoon at the southernmost end of Drang, this unsettled area is a scenic location, abounding with exotic creatures of both the land and sea.
Sturm -
- Ernte: an open field across the center of Sturm. Common and slightly rare herbs grow across this stretch of land, varying with the seasons, making it a good grazing field for the herds of wandering beasts that pass by.
- Unbesiegbar: The highest land mountain in the world, and the fortress of Sturm's royalty. A guarded network of chambers and tunnels runs all the way down to the mountain's base, leading to an underground cavern which serves as the throne room.
- Sperrgebiet: An ore mine progressing nineteen stories down into the ground, with each successively deeper level housing more valuable gems and inhabited by more dangerous creatures. Reports of a goblin stronghold at the lowest level are unconfirmed.
Hiems -
- Aletch: A giant glacier flowing from the far north of Hiems, and the source of many of Arcadia's south-running streams.
- Grosvater: The highest mountain in Hiems, believed to be the home of the royalty, though they have never been seen. The apparent king of Hiems contacts Arcadia by way of emissaries dispatched to and from this mountain.
- Aestuario: A forest village on an island at the center of a lake, sheltered from the elements by thick pine groves.
Major Concerns:
- Arcadia's political courts are a veritable nest of vipers for the unwary, home to some of the most vicious bouts of polite infighting in the world. The oldest families are the most experienced, and often the most dangerous to cross. Many who broker deals with them walk fine lines between lavish favoritism and complete ostracism from society at large.
- Outside the fey settlements is a dangerous place to travel, let alone live. Arcadia's natural beauty all too frequently comes with a razor edge. That flock of fluttering iridescent wings is a swarm of vampire butterflies, that gold-feathered bird with a flowing coat like molten flame is a lava-spitting phoenix with eggs to defend, that inviting cluster of leaves is carnivorous...
- The Fey-human class divide has had centuries to become entrenched, and neither race shows any signs of digging themselves free any time soon. Fey have long held the power to rule and superior knowledge of magic. Most humans are content to take subservient roles in exchange for protection, and the more ambitious are aware that they wouldn't last long in the Fey courts, let alone in outright rebellion as the Beastfolk once tried.
- Beastfolk are taboo to the land, after a past attempt to overthrow their oppressive fey rulers failed dismally. Any who cross the borders into Arcadia are quickly escorted back out by an armed guard, if not arrested and tossed into some underground cell with no exit... or worse.
- Inventively gruesome punishments await offenders who are non-Fey, or "lesser races", with some settlements going so far as to make a public affair of them - a stark reminder to visiting dignitaries of what their countries abandoned when they left the dark ages behind.
- Were attacks have been a growing problem in recent years. The most frequent cases have occurred in Sturm, which is adjacent to the barrier separating Ruthenian from Arcadia. All aggressors end up with their transformed heads on pikes around the walls, though this hardly seems to work as a deterrent.
- Infected (human) survivors of Were attacks can expect no sympathy from the ruling (Fey) authorities. The kinder ones turn the afflicted out to fend for themselves in the wilderness or beyond. Lords who are more cruel, or just more easily amused, imprison them until the next full moon to make a public example of them, for the entertainment of the masses.
Weather: Summer is shortest in Hiems. It has longest winter and cool-to-cold weather all year round. The reverse is true of Drang, which has the longest summers, shortest winters and warmest weather, in addition to frequent but low-level volcanic activity. Sturm, as befits its name, experiences spectacularly violent storms at the turn of each season, but generally kinder weather the rest of the year through. Fleur's weather is the mildest of the four, as is needed for a garden maze to survive. It features gentle rains, warm sunlight, mild winds and the occasional winter snowfall.
Population: Humans are the most numerous, with Noble Fey presence edging in a close second. Wildfey are a fairly common sight, as are magical beasts, and Arcadia has one of the highest concentrations of sentient Elementals in the world. Beastfolk, on the other hand, are conspicuously absence.
Form of Government: The ruling structure follows the medieval hierarchy of Royalty, Nobility, Gentry, and lower classes. Noble Fey, and on rarer occasions Elementals and Wildfey, make up the ruling class, with humans as their subjects, vassals and servants. Some humans who find favor with their lords can rise to prominent positions among the gentry however.
Technology: Fey dominance and emphasis on preserving nature has kept innovation centuries behind nations like Greenwich, Alexandria and Ruthenia. Technology that could stunt or damage the natural order is banned, under pain of very unpleasant disciplinary action. Water is drawn from rivers and wells, food is farmed, foraged or hunted, candles and torches lit at night - at least, for those who don't have magic to make all of life's necessities come to them.
Favored Magics: While all five magics feature to sustain the land in the absence of modern technology, Spoken, Mental and Written magics are preferred by the courtiers as having the most style and elegance. Physical magic is considered more in the realm of hard labor, a task better suited to the peasants who tend to the land and their dwellings. Ingredients abound for Material users, but the art is practiced in careful moderation to limit the potential harm to nature that comes from collecting unicorn horn powder and harpy eggs.
Major Locations:
Fleur -
- Chateau Lutetia: A giant castle at the heart of Fleur, magically grown from the forest. The upper levels are reserved for the royal family, their guards and retainers, as well as a select few of their most trusted noble allies. Wild animals freely roam the lower levels, kept from outside disturbance or escape into the upper levels by a team of rangers.
- Avenio: A vineyard that stretches between several hills, tended by dryads and sprites. The grapes are said to have magical properties when used in certain brews, but few 'tourists' to the vineyard have sneaked close enough to confirm this.
- Marseille: A district overlooking the sea, with a port that incorporates the beach and offshore coral reef into its features.
Drang -
- Mount Fuego: The largest active volcanic island of the continent, it spouts lava and ash through numerous vents along its slope. Inhabitants of the island employ magic to redirect the lava flows and settle the fertile ash for planting their crops.
- Kratiras: An island in a caldera, larger than Mount Fuego, below sea level and protected by the high walls of the former volcano. A small jungle exists behind the walls, with a gleaming obsidian palace at its center. This palace houses the royal family of Drang.
- Gelassen: A coral reef joined to an island and lagoon at the southernmost end of Drang, this unsettled area is a scenic location, abounding with exotic creatures of both the land and sea.
Sturm -
- Ernte: an open field across the center of Sturm. Common and slightly rare herbs grow across this stretch of land, varying with the seasons, making it a good grazing field for the herds of wandering beasts that pass by.
- Unbesiegbar: The highest land mountain in the world, and the fortress of Sturm's royalty. A guarded network of chambers and tunnels runs all the way down to the mountain's base, leading to an underground cavern which serves as the throne room.
- Sperrgebiet: An ore mine progressing nineteen stories down into the ground, with each successively deeper level housing more valuable gems and inhabited by more dangerous creatures. Reports of a goblin stronghold at the lowest level are unconfirmed.
Hiems -
- Aletch: A giant glacier flowing from the far north of Hiems, and the source of many of Arcadia's south-running streams.
- Grosvater: The highest mountain in Hiems, believed to be the home of the royalty, though they have never been seen. The apparent king of Hiems contacts Arcadia by way of emissaries dispatched to and from this mountain.
- Aestuario: A forest village on an island at the center of a lake, sheltered from the elements by thick pine groves.
Major Concerns:
- Arcadia's political courts are a veritable nest of vipers for the unwary, home to some of the most vicious bouts of polite infighting in the world. The oldest families are the most experienced, and often the most dangerous to cross. Many who broker deals with them walk fine lines between lavish favoritism and complete ostracism from society at large.
- Outside the fey settlements is a dangerous place to travel, let alone live. Arcadia's natural beauty all too frequently comes with a razor edge. That flock of fluttering iridescent wings is a swarm of vampire butterflies, that gold-feathered bird with a flowing coat like molten flame is a lava-spitting phoenix with eggs to defend, that inviting cluster of leaves is carnivorous...
- The Fey-human class divide has had centuries to become entrenched, and neither race shows any signs of digging themselves free any time soon. Fey have long held the power to rule and superior knowledge of magic. Most humans are content to take subservient roles in exchange for protection, and the more ambitious are aware that they wouldn't last long in the Fey courts, let alone in outright rebellion as the Beastfolk once tried.
- Beastfolk are taboo to the land, after a past attempt to overthrow their oppressive fey rulers failed dismally. Any who cross the borders into Arcadia are quickly escorted back out by an armed guard, if not arrested and tossed into some underground cell with no exit... or worse.
- Inventively gruesome punishments await offenders who are non-Fey, or "lesser races", with some settlements going so far as to make a public affair of them - a stark reminder to visiting dignitaries of what their countries abandoned when they left the dark ages behind.
- Were attacks have been a growing problem in recent years. The most frequent cases have occurred in Sturm, which is adjacent to the barrier separating Ruthenian from Arcadia. All aggressors end up with their transformed heads on pikes around the walls, though this hardly seems to work as a deterrent.
- Infected (human) survivors of Were attacks can expect no sympathy from the ruling (Fey) authorities. The kinder ones turn the afflicted out to fend for themselves in the wilderness or beyond. Lords who are more cruel, or just more easily amused, imprison them until the next full moon to make a public example of them, for the entertainment of the masses.