Post by Admin on Feb 20, 2012 0:38:37 GMT -5
Geography: The Sunset Ridge Mountains cover the west side of the continent, with the Columbian Mountains running along the southeast. The Great Plains cover hundreds of miles of the northern half, with intermittent forest regions, lakes and cities throughout. It makes excellent herd and farmland. The southern half is filled by the Vespucian Forests more than anything else. There is an incredibly large amount of rivers and other water bodies throughout the land in general, save the Silicon Desert in the southwest. The southernmost county of Alexandria, New Southcrest, overlaps the Vespucian Forests and Silicon Desert, and thus has features of both.
Weather: The climate is temperate in the Vespucian Forests, getting warmer in the Great Plains area and colder in the mountains. At their highest, the mountains are perpetually snowy. The Silicon Desert is a dry, arid landscape. For everywhere else, it rains frequently, but not too frequently. The Great Plains are especially windy and make excellent farmland.
Population: Alexandria has a large population in the hundred-millions, with an extremely diverse population of all the races in all places. While originally settled by Beastfolk from what is now the Dominion, they moved in with the existing Fey and formed a tenuous relationship. There is a greater percentage of Beastfolk in the west and more Fey to the east. Humans from Greenwich and Ruthenia became the dominant force when it was further colonized a few hundred years ago. Equal rights are allotted to all. Magic only shows up in 1 out of every 1,000.
Form of Government: Alexandria uses a federal bipartisan system of government, with a single democratically elected President and a House of Representatives made up of all the counties and of all races. The current president is Kalyn Delaware.
Technology: Alexandria has a largely hydroelectric-based system of technology that expanded from the early days of Greenwich colonization. They are especially dependent on the numerous rivers to provide power. Windmills are used as a secondary source of power in the plains, but are gaining popularity.
Favored Magics: Alexandria has no culturally favored forms of magic, since it is made of so many different cultures. Material mages can find many common materials in the wild, though rarer ones are harder to come by. The Alexandrian black market is (in)famous for having access to many magical materials from other nations however.
Major Locations:
The Great Plains -
- Fort Kodiak: Situated a few miles inland from Columbia, it is a heavily fortified and enchanted military base. It is Alexandria's center for government defense research and intelligence.
- Goldenstone Park: A nature reserve in the plains, home to various wild and magical animals, fiercely guarded around the clock by a team of rangers.
The Columbian Mountains -
- Columbia: Located on the eastern coast of Alexandria and centered around the mouth of the Pilgrim River, it is the capital of the nation. A hydroelectric power plant sits at the base of the Niagra Waterfalls upriver, and provides enough power for the city and several outlying towns.
- The Dragon's Keep: The Dragon Knight's base of operations, it exists partially elevated in the northwest corner of the Columbian Mountains. The highly enchanted castle is a conglomeration of modern technology and magical ingenuity.
The Shining Coast -
- Moore Island: An island at the easternmost tip of the continent, not truly on the shoreline, but connected to the mainland by a bridge. The harbor there was one of the first and most widely used inspection stations for immigrants seeking to live in Alexandria. Currently, it is in use as a departure and arrival point for Weres in transit to and from Damian's Isle.
- Umbrella Town: A beach resort along the coast, named for a quirky local shop custom of giving out free beach umbrellas to their patrons.
The Vespucian Forests -
- Hilwich Woods: A small, quiet village in the southeastern corner of the Vespucian Forests which is slowly gaining repute as a weekend getaway for those seeking peace and quiet. The village offers little in the way of modern conveniences and has only one road leading in from the highways, but is sequestered from the problems of modern life, and the locals are a friendly if superstitious lot, who seem all too fond of telling cautionary ghost stories late at night.
- Hunter and Hunter Trailblazing Supplies: A chain of shop lodges scattered through the forest, recognizable by the distinctive emblem of a crossed bow and fishing rod over the doorway. They sell camping, hunting and fishing supplies at decent prices. A central headquarters is located at the western edge of the forest.
- Great-Grandfather Oak: An ancient oak tree, immediately recognizable from the sky as the tallest tree in the forest. It stands in the center of an unusually quiet glade, claimed by travelers to radiate an overwhelming sense of peace.
The Silicon Desert -
- Teslic Heights: Named for Niklaus Teslic, the originator of Alexandria's modern technology, the city is a massive hub of science and technology close to the Sunset Ridge Mountains.
- Lost Angels: A bright city shining in the desert, it is an extremely popular town to visit because of its very loose regulations governing morally questionable acts. Gambling, prostitution, and recreational drug use are all permissible.
- The Boondocks: The group name for a collection of abandoned villages scattered across the east of the desert. Some simply failed to grow; more were abandoned after mining disasters or being caught in the way of sandstorms; legends claim more still are cursed or haunted.
New Southcrest -
- Nova Victoria: A city in the east of New Southcrest, surrounded by a wide stretch of farmland converted from forests. The Southcresters, descendants of settlers from the land now known as Damian's Isle, pay their taxes to Greenwich and retain some features of the old colony such as their accent and an economy centered on agriculture and industry.
- Dundee Ranch: The pet project of an eccentric mage that succeeded remarkably well, Dundee Ranch is a nature reserve situated just to the west of Nova Victoria, home to many animals native to Damian's Isle, with wards to keep them from escaping. Tickets are available for guests to tour the reserve via magically soundproofed helicopter.
- Warden Academy: A military base near the southeastern coast that serves as recruitment and training grounds for those wishing to join the Wardens at Damian's Isle. Military and magical education are both offered.
- The Dustbowl: The western area of New Southcrest, where it joins the Silicon Desert. The landscape is more arid, with vegetation thinning out into desert sand. Mostly uninhabited, but a few mining camps have begun to appear where mithril deposits have been discovered.
- The Anomaly: A magical locus of psychic energy that shifts across the Dustbowl and coastline, generating mirages and causing the environment to occasionally slip out of phase with reality.
The Sunset Ridge Mountains -
- New Orbis: A small town in a scenic valley, home to theaters, universities of art and a theme park, built by settlers from Greenwich to resemble the old Orbis of their homeland.
- Arcturus Mines: An ore mine which has been in disuse for decades, closed down after a disastrous explosion which collapsed a passageway and killed the workers inside. Nearby sits a small village with a thinning population.
- Tetra Plateau: The northernmost feature along the Sunset Ridge, a steep, four-sided plateau. A spectacular sunset await those who brave its slopes, and the hot spring at the top is believed to have healing properties when its water bubbles.
Major Concerns:
- Alexandria's ideal of equality and tolerance falls through again and again. Racial tensions are high among (some) humans, Beastfolk and Fey, with multiple extremist groups and inter-alliances posturing for political power, and cities themselves can sometimes be geographically divided between cultural groups.
- The criminal underworld has found many homes here because of its status as a major intercontinental trade hub, and there are many gangs, mafias and other organizations throughout the land. The Silicon Desert is especially well known for having a problem with criminals, and many abandoned towns serve as their secret havens.
- While monsters are less prevalent now then they were in the past, their presence can still be felt in the mountains, the desert and other wild areas. Local law enforcement routinely checks for any that might have taken up residence within their domain.
- Alexandria has a large-and-growing Were problem, both in the mountains and the forests. While the Alexandrian government is still more forgiving than other places, failure to control one's self (i.e., not murdering someone) or purposeful infliction to another human being is grounds for deportation to the prison colony, Damian's Isle.
Weather: The climate is temperate in the Vespucian Forests, getting warmer in the Great Plains area and colder in the mountains. At their highest, the mountains are perpetually snowy. The Silicon Desert is a dry, arid landscape. For everywhere else, it rains frequently, but not too frequently. The Great Plains are especially windy and make excellent farmland.
Population: Alexandria has a large population in the hundred-millions, with an extremely diverse population of all the races in all places. While originally settled by Beastfolk from what is now the Dominion, they moved in with the existing Fey and formed a tenuous relationship. There is a greater percentage of Beastfolk in the west and more Fey to the east. Humans from Greenwich and Ruthenia became the dominant force when it was further colonized a few hundred years ago. Equal rights are allotted to all. Magic only shows up in 1 out of every 1,000.
Form of Government: Alexandria uses a federal bipartisan system of government, with a single democratically elected President and a House of Representatives made up of all the counties and of all races. The current president is Kalyn Delaware.
Technology: Alexandria has a largely hydroelectric-based system of technology that expanded from the early days of Greenwich colonization. They are especially dependent on the numerous rivers to provide power. Windmills are used as a secondary source of power in the plains, but are gaining popularity.
Favored Magics: Alexandria has no culturally favored forms of magic, since it is made of so many different cultures. Material mages can find many common materials in the wild, though rarer ones are harder to come by. The Alexandrian black market is (in)famous for having access to many magical materials from other nations however.
Major Locations:
The Great Plains -
- Fort Kodiak: Situated a few miles inland from Columbia, it is a heavily fortified and enchanted military base. It is Alexandria's center for government defense research and intelligence.
- Goldenstone Park: A nature reserve in the plains, home to various wild and magical animals, fiercely guarded around the clock by a team of rangers.
The Columbian Mountains -
- Columbia: Located on the eastern coast of Alexandria and centered around the mouth of the Pilgrim River, it is the capital of the nation. A hydroelectric power plant sits at the base of the Niagra Waterfalls upriver, and provides enough power for the city and several outlying towns.
- The Dragon's Keep: The Dragon Knight's base of operations, it exists partially elevated in the northwest corner of the Columbian Mountains. The highly enchanted castle is a conglomeration of modern technology and magical ingenuity.
The Shining Coast -
- Moore Island: An island at the easternmost tip of the continent, not truly on the shoreline, but connected to the mainland by a bridge. The harbor there was one of the first and most widely used inspection stations for immigrants seeking to live in Alexandria. Currently, it is in use as a departure and arrival point for Weres in transit to and from Damian's Isle.
- Umbrella Town: A beach resort along the coast, named for a quirky local shop custom of giving out free beach umbrellas to their patrons.
The Vespucian Forests -
- Hilwich Woods: A small, quiet village in the southeastern corner of the Vespucian Forests which is slowly gaining repute as a weekend getaway for those seeking peace and quiet. The village offers little in the way of modern conveniences and has only one road leading in from the highways, but is sequestered from the problems of modern life, and the locals are a friendly if superstitious lot, who seem all too fond of telling cautionary ghost stories late at night.
- Hunter and Hunter Trailblazing Supplies: A chain of shop lodges scattered through the forest, recognizable by the distinctive emblem of a crossed bow and fishing rod over the doorway. They sell camping, hunting and fishing supplies at decent prices. A central headquarters is located at the western edge of the forest.
- Great-Grandfather Oak: An ancient oak tree, immediately recognizable from the sky as the tallest tree in the forest. It stands in the center of an unusually quiet glade, claimed by travelers to radiate an overwhelming sense of peace.
The Silicon Desert -
- Teslic Heights: Named for Niklaus Teslic, the originator of Alexandria's modern technology, the city is a massive hub of science and technology close to the Sunset Ridge Mountains.
- Lost Angels: A bright city shining in the desert, it is an extremely popular town to visit because of its very loose regulations governing morally questionable acts. Gambling, prostitution, and recreational drug use are all permissible.
- The Boondocks: The group name for a collection of abandoned villages scattered across the east of the desert. Some simply failed to grow; more were abandoned after mining disasters or being caught in the way of sandstorms; legends claim more still are cursed or haunted.
New Southcrest -
- Nova Victoria: A city in the east of New Southcrest, surrounded by a wide stretch of farmland converted from forests. The Southcresters, descendants of settlers from the land now known as Damian's Isle, pay their taxes to Greenwich and retain some features of the old colony such as their accent and an economy centered on agriculture and industry.
- Dundee Ranch: The pet project of an eccentric mage that succeeded remarkably well, Dundee Ranch is a nature reserve situated just to the west of Nova Victoria, home to many animals native to Damian's Isle, with wards to keep them from escaping. Tickets are available for guests to tour the reserve via magically soundproofed helicopter.
- Warden Academy: A military base near the southeastern coast that serves as recruitment and training grounds for those wishing to join the Wardens at Damian's Isle. Military and magical education are both offered.
- The Dustbowl: The western area of New Southcrest, where it joins the Silicon Desert. The landscape is more arid, with vegetation thinning out into desert sand. Mostly uninhabited, but a few mining camps have begun to appear where mithril deposits have been discovered.
- The Anomaly: A magical locus of psychic energy that shifts across the Dustbowl and coastline, generating mirages and causing the environment to occasionally slip out of phase with reality.
The Sunset Ridge Mountains -
- New Orbis: A small town in a scenic valley, home to theaters, universities of art and a theme park, built by settlers from Greenwich to resemble the old Orbis of their homeland.
- Arcturus Mines: An ore mine which has been in disuse for decades, closed down after a disastrous explosion which collapsed a passageway and killed the workers inside. Nearby sits a small village with a thinning population.
- Tetra Plateau: The northernmost feature along the Sunset Ridge, a steep, four-sided plateau. A spectacular sunset await those who brave its slopes, and the hot spring at the top is believed to have healing properties when its water bubbles.
Major Concerns:
- Alexandria's ideal of equality and tolerance falls through again and again. Racial tensions are high among (some) humans, Beastfolk and Fey, with multiple extremist groups and inter-alliances posturing for political power, and cities themselves can sometimes be geographically divided between cultural groups.
- The criminal underworld has found many homes here because of its status as a major intercontinental trade hub, and there are many gangs, mafias and other organizations throughout the land. The Silicon Desert is especially well known for having a problem with criminals, and many abandoned towns serve as their secret havens.
- While monsters are less prevalent now then they were in the past, their presence can still be felt in the mountains, the desert and other wild areas. Local law enforcement routinely checks for any that might have taken up residence within their domain.
- Alexandria has a large-and-growing Were problem, both in the mountains and the forests. While the Alexandrian government is still more forgiving than other places, failure to control one's self (i.e., not murdering someone) or purposeful infliction to another human being is grounds for deportation to the prison colony, Damian's Isle.