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The world of Gaia was once a vibrant, lush world full of life. However, due to the events of fifty years prior, much of the surface world lies underneath dark waves summoned by the malicious Mage-King. Before the waves struck, however, the Warriors of Light were able to gather most of the people of the world and, using the magic of the crystal, managed to raise large bits of the land way high into the sky. Five main "islands" were raised. While the survivors of the flood were all gathered at first on a single island, it became apparent rather quickly that there wouldn't be enough room. Thus the people spread out to the other islands, establishing settlements on each. These settlements would eventually grow into sprawling cities and become the foundation for the new nations that formed shortly after.

While these cities are alike in many ways, fifty years is a long time and new cultures have been formed. New norms are decided while taboos are played with. In most of the nations, magic is heavily regulated...but not all. Most disturbingly, the spirit of cooperation which was at an all-time-high after the flood seems to have disappeared. And the more pessimistic among the people whisper that war may be building up.

[hider=Thorne]
The first of the new settlements founded, Thorne lies on the first island to be raised. It hosts the highest population of all the nations, with the largest city being Thorne City itself, named both after the nation itself, and the Warrior of Light who stayed to guide the people: Roderick Thorne. He was a prince of a small kingdom before the grand flood, and thanks to his heroism in fighting the Mage-King, the people who stayed in his settlement swore fealty to him and named him their King. While he initially bucked at the thought, the people were so insistent that he eventually caved.

Thorne City lies in the heart of Thorne and is in some regards the mid-way point between any two capitals of the islands. As Thorne is the middle island surrounded by the other islands on all sides, it has become somewhat of a trade hub. Merchants from all over set up shop in Thorne's Markets, and most airships stop to refuel in the Grand Station. Thorne City is also a popular location for various tournaments, and as such sees heavy traffic year-round.

The Crystal Palace stands overlooking a beautiful lake. The Castle itself is completely surrounded by the lake, requiring the use of the Big Bridge to get from the city proper in the south to the castle. A ways north of the Palace stands the Grand Crystal, which towers over all other things. It hovers in the middle of the lake, glowing a radiant, beautiful blue. Due to it's sheer size, one can even see the crystal from the city, most notably at the city center.

Thorne serves as home to the Holy Order of Paladins, which has its command center within the Crystal Palace.

[hider=Thorne City Map][img]http://i.imgur.com/MIuhPeu.png[/img][/hider]
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[hider=Takhtajan]
Far to the north of Thorne lies the nation of Takhtajan. It lies on the northern land and, compared to the other islands, is by far the least hospitable. It lies in the middle of a desert. It should go without saying then, that Takhtajan is by far the least populated nation of the islands. It would seem that the biggest draw to the desert city would be the sheer abundance of valuable jewels underneath the sands. For those willing to brave the harshness of the desert, the reward is riches beyond man's comprehension. The only trouble is getting it out. Takhtajan has a bit of a nasty Sand Worm problem. And with a recent infestation of Antlions, excavating the jewels and ore just keeps getting harder and harder.

Takhtajan is reknowned for its heavy use of Mystic Knights and Red Mages. The Merchant Lords of Takhtajan are constantly searching for more capable warriors to join their ranks and are willing to pay QUITE handsomely for those who can hold their own.
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[hider=Dahlgren]
To the south of Thorne would be the nation of Dahlgren, which holds most of the islands' population of mages. This is due in part to the expansive Dahlgren University of Magic, which hosts the largest Colleges in the lands. Dahlgren itself is ruled by a council of mages, one hundred mages chosen by their peers to represent their people until death. Unsurprisingly, Dahlgren has the most lax stance on magic. Public use of magic in even the most mundane situations is rather commonplace. This behavior is a bit too much for many people though, and as such, the mages of Dahlgren tend not to wander far from the campus.
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[hider=Cronquist]
(this section is scheduled for a rework soon! Thanks to Oddsbod's contribution to fleshing out what was otherwise a generic Badsville. Until we get to this, please refer to the history section of Odd's character [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4309569]here[/url] for a more detailed look into the redesigned nation.)

To the west of Thorne lies the nation of Cronquist. An unfortunate nation, Cronquist has been the subject of many an overwhelming monster horde. Even voidbeasts have been spotted roaming the countryside. In response to the harsh environment, the knights of the land have developed a rather dark method to deal with the nightmarish threat. It's not just the knights that are harder in Cronquist, even the citizens are colder and crueler. Such is life when everyday is a fight for survival. The nation has recently mostly isolated itself, cutting off most contact with the other nations. While it's troubling, most attempts to reach out end with diplomats being turned around at the border.

Some fear that the noble lords may be plotting to invade their neighbors, in order to escape the monster hordes. Thankfully, these claims seem to be baseless...
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[hider=Calestani]
In the mountain peaks between Kimura and Dahlgren, Calestani stands proud. While it is the smallest nation in terms of landmass, it holds a respectable population in its capital, which is built onto the side of a mountain, at the gates of one of the largest Deepkin strongholds. Unsurprisingly, Calestani makes a killing selling islander goods to the Deepkin and then Deepkin goods to the rest of the island. Thanks to this, Calestani is the technological capital of the islands. 

Unfortunately...it's also the dragon capital of the islands. The nation is frequently under siege by the scaly foes. Enough so for the knights of the nation to dedicate themselves to studying how to best defeat them. Thus the dragoon was born. A collaboration between the Engineering Guild and the Deepkin has resulted in a new weapon thought to be revolutionary against both the dragon threat and all threats going forward. These guns allow even the smallest and weakest to hold his or her ground against a far more skilled fighter.[/hider]

[hider=Kimura]
Kimura to the east of Thorne lies on an island with the most fertile land. As such, Kimura is the agricultural backbone of the islands. Despite exporting to...well...everyone, Kimura is a fairly isolated nation, focusing most of its efforts inwards. A number of warlords have risen to power, warring with one another for control of the cities and the grain. Very skilled swordsmen known as Samurai make up the bulk of the warriors used in these conflicts. However, some are not above utilizing the secretive Ninja clans to gain a leg up on the enemy.

Kimura's stability is unsettling to say the least, but none of the other nations feel comfortable intervening due to their reliance on Kimura's grain exports.
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[hider=Surface Colonies]
A relatively new development, thanks to receding floodwaters on the surface, attempts to reclaim the old lands has begun. Brave settlers have traveled down to set up colonies with the goal of creating self-sustaining settlements. For the sake of Gaia, these will have to be successful, else the islands are going to become overpopulated very soon.

Many brave or foolish warriors travel here to tackle some of the threats uncovered by the flood disappearing. Remains of the Mage-King's army have somehow survived and causing havoc. Thankfully, without a leader, they're not coordinated to be TOO much of a threat...but they are a bit of a nuisance. And fortunately - or unfortunately depending on one's opinion on mages - the College of Blue Magic has sent quite a few of their best and brightest to study the monsters. Can't help to have a few more swords against those beasts, really.
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While there are a number of races upon the island, generally they've all been accepted as valid cultures within the eyes of the separate nations. Sure, they may have their individual cultural languages, it is expected that most everybody be familiar with the common tongue enough to speak it fluently. Jobs are not Race restrictive.

[hider=Hume]
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The most populous race among the islands. Generally considered the average against which other races are compared. Therefore, average in most aspects. Skin tone and hair color tends to vary across regions, but there doesn't appear to be any significant differences in physical structure or capabilities, though males tend to be physically larger than females on average. Generally stands around five-to-six feet at adulthood.

Average lifespan of about seventy years in ideal conditions. Considered to hit adulthood at about age twenty.
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[hider=Eldian]
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Eldians were once the most populous race upon Gaia, but after the rise of the Mage-King and the Great Flood sometime after that, they fell behind the Humes in sheer numbers. Before the disasters, however, the Eldians lived in mighty cities, governed by a council of mages. Since the exodus to the islands, the majority of Eldians congregated in what is now Dahlgren. One can see the Eldian influences quite clearly, what with the magic-focused society even being ruled by a new council of mages. 

Eldian are very similar in both features and physical build to Humes, although they do tend to be slightly taller and more on the slender side. Notable differences include their elongated necks, pointed ears, and long hands. Like Humes, their skin and hair color varies across regions though both tend to fair more often than not. Possesses an above average affinity for magic. Generally six-to-seven feet tall at adulthood.

Average lifespan of about one hundred fifty years, though generally considered to hit adulthood at about age twenty.
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[hider=Deepkin]
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Short, stout, strong. The Deepkin comprise the smallest percent of the islands' population. This is due mostly to the fact that the Deepkin are primarily a subterranean race. As such, the great flooding of fifty years prior hardly affected them at all. Occasionally a Deepkin will decide to leave the strongholds to go exploring on the surface world, but it's fairly rare. Deepkin generally do not permit the other races into their strongholds. 

The Deepkin tend to be much bulkier than Humes, with their facial features being wider and larger. They're a hairy people, with thick arm and leg hair. The males generally have no trouble growing facial hair. Females sometimes sport light facial hair, though surface Deepkin tend to conform to the surface ideals of beauty. Their skin tends to be some shade of green. About four-to-five feet at adulthood. Poor affinity for magic.

Average lifespan of about one hundred eighty years. Adulthood reached around age thirty.
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[hider=Feykin]
A catchall term to describe the hume-like sentient races of the islands that carry, to some degree, bestial features. The five main groups are the Bangaa, the Nu Mou, the Miqo'te, the Moogles, and the Viera. Of that, the largest populations would be the Bangaa and the Miqo'te, the Moogles followed by the Viera, then finally Nu Mou.

[hider=Bangaa]
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Reptilian features including long faces, scaly skin, and tough limbs. They have two long ears dangling from either side of their head. Their senses of smell and hearing are very keen, even by Feykin standards. Generally have a tall stature and are physically powerful, standing somewhere between six-and-seven feet. Little difference in physical appearance between male and female, usually only distinguishable by voice. Their scales tend to be cooler colors: blues, greens, purples. Rarely, a Bangaa will have red scales. These individuals tend to grow to be even larger than the norm of the species. As a whole, the Bangaa tend to be more aggressive than the other races of the islands, which causes some of the others to view them in a less-than-pleasant light.

Poor affinity for magic.

Average lifespan of around one hundred years. Adulthood reached at fifteen.
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[hider=Nu Mou]
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The Nu Mou are very long-lived creatures, but not very fertile. Their population comprises the second lowest among the island races, only slightly beating out the Deepkin. When one factors in the Deepkin population still within the strongholds, then the Nu Mou become the rarest species by quite a bit.

They sport mainly canine features including elongated faces and tails, with fur covering their bodies. They've long, thick ears with holes near the end. As can be expected then, they've got exceptional senses of smell and hearing. Usually they stand about four-to-five feet tall, though they tend to have rather poor posture, standing hunched to some degree.

Their fur tends to be white with sandy tails, though it has become a growing trend among younger Nu Mou to dye their coats. Their skin tone varies between pale or dull. As a whole, the Nu Mou tend to have a fairly static appearance, as between adolescence and advanced age there isn't much change physically.

Very strong affinity for magic. Above-average intelligence on average (in comparison to Humes), though generally physically weaker.

Average lifespan around four hundred years if the Nu Mou elders are to be believed. Adulthood thought to be reached somewhere around forty years. Quite a few of the living Nu Mou were around during the rise of the Mage-King, with the elders remembering it quite well. Those elders tend to be suspicious around the Eldian as a result.
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[hider=Miqo'te]
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Formerly from a series of islands upon the surface, the Miqo'te can be found in all of the major cities in respectable number. While physically they resemble Humes quite a bit, they tend to be smaller both in stature and build. They have feline features including short, pointed ears, and dexterous tails. Their senses of smell and hearing are superb, about on par with the Nu Mou. Average affinity for magic.

Their eyes are distinctly feline, vertically aligned slits with faintly colored, if at all, irises. Their fur tends to be brightly colored and they usually have warm skin tones. Their teeth are rather sharp, but their claws put those to shame. They tend to be curious and outgoing, almost to a fault.

On average, they stand about five-to-six feet, though they tend to skew to the lower end of that scale.

Average lifespan of around sixty years, with adulthood considered reached in the late teens to early twenties.
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[hider=Viera]
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The Viera are a relatively new addition to the public scene. Before the flooding of the surface world, the Viera lived hidden away from society in forested villages. After the exodus to the islands, however, they joined the other races in building the new settlements. They tend to be rather reserved, even in the new world. 

They have leporine features, similar to the Moogles, though they do tend to lean more towards Hume in terms of physical makeup. They have long, furry ears and supple limbs. Great senses. Generally have darker skin and silver hair, though many choose to dye their hair, especially among those living in urban settings. Higher female to male gender ratio. Stands somewhere around six-to-seven feet on average. 

High affinity for magic.

While they are thought to be long-lived, with some claiming they can live up to three hundred years, during the exodus the elders refused to leave their ancestral homes, which meant only some of the younger ones left. As such, none of the island's Viera have died of old age yet. Adulthood is thought to be reached at about thirty.
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[hider=Moogle]
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The Moogles, like the Viera, are newcomers to the public life. They also lived in small, hidden forest villages before the flood. Unlike the Viera, however, the Moogles thrived in their new setting. Very outgoing and generally harmless looking (let's be honest, they're downright adorable), they were accepted with open arms. In terms of population, they make up only slightly more than the Viera.

Like their tall cousins, the Moogles have lagomorphic features, with rabbit ears and fur. However, these creatures are more bestial than Hume-like, with their fur covering the entirety of their bodies. They have extended pom-poms atop their head. They also have very small wings that generally cannot be used for flight, save for abnormally small members of the race. Their hands are small, but generally very dexterous.

Their fur tends to be either off-white or black in color. Their pom-poms come in various shades as well, though they tend to be light red. It's not unheard of for Moogles to dye their pom-poms. They tend to be the smallest of the races, standing between three-and-four feet tall on average.

Average lifespan of about forty years, with adulthood reached in the mid-teens. Most use the pronoun "mog" in reference to themselves and others of their kind, and tend to end sentences in "kupo!"
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