[center][img] http://i.imgur.com/mXbAEnF.png [/img][/center][hr] [i]Invernier is an old, tired land. It is sparsely populated, weary of kings, magic, and curses. Hope still exists, of course, as it always does, a very difficult and troublesome thing to get rid of, but the overall mood of the land can often feel like the entire world is resigned to its apparent decline.[/i] This section will go into detail on the different regions of Invernier and its surrounding lands. The Tempesta section will probably be most relevant, as the RPG begins there, and characters’ backstories will probably be heavily influenced by it. For characters that are travelers, or refugees, the other location descriptions should help give you an idea of the different places that could be a part of their backstory, however you want to write it. [center][b]This is just to give you ideas and some framing devices for characters, and in many cases is just me self-indulgently throwing a bunch of my ideas on the wall so I have a place to put them. Don’t feel you need to read all—or even most—of this. Since most characters will be Tempestans, literally the only section you actually need to skim is the Tempesta[/b][/center] Seriously, once you get past the Tempesta, the Far West, and Quishan, basically everything else is completely extraneous fluff that’s only here because I’m a completionist with no sense of restraint. If you have any questions and just don't feel like reading through all this nonsense, that is literally the most natural thing in the world, feel free to just directly ask me here in the OOC, or shoot me a PM. (I know the Tempesta section is fucking ginormous—don’t worry, none of the other sections are anywhere near as in-depth, I just wanted the Tempesta one to be fleshed out enough to give you lots of building blocks to play with for character building.) [h3][u]B A S I C I N F O R M A T I O N [/u][/h3] [hider=General Setting Info] [indent][b] ❖ The Efertide ❖ [/b] [indent][indent]The curse that began the Age of the Widow. The efertide is an inky mist that rises up from the soil during the night, black and indigo and full of distant, twinkling stars. Anyone caught in its drift is swallowed alive, never to be seen again. Rumor says it’s painless—like falling asleep. The light of day can keep the efertide at bay, as well as heat and fire. The light inside a person can also prove resistant when in large enough numbers, and large cities tend to be safer than most, as well as any kind of dwelling space with a strong sense of home. [/indent][/indent] [b] ❖ Technology ❖ [/b] [indent][indent] Invernier is a more or less traditional high fantasy setting, though it’s no stranger to technology. Gas lamps, firearms, and even lightbulbs and electricity were used sporadically in the most developed urban areas, though since the Age of the Widow the spread and use of such things has regressed. Nowadays, most people would treat such things just as they would magic—strange, unpredictable, and untrustworthy. [/indent][/indent] [b] ❖ Bonfires ❖ [/b] [indent][indent]Enchanted fires to ward off the efertide and keep towns from being washed away during the night. Most Bonfires are quite ancient, and the magic that went into making them may be lost to the town where the Bonfire sits. Some Bonfires are naturally occurring, and settlements usually form around them. The four great Cities of the Sisters that have not yet fallen into ruin still have powerful electric lanterns as Bonfires scattered throughout the streets, and are some of the only places on the continent where it’s safe to walk outside at night.[/indent][/indent] [b] ❖ The Curses of the Age of the Widow ❖ [/b] [indent][indent]The efertide is not the only evil to plague Invernier since the beginning of the Age of the Widow. Many monsters, from werewolves to ghosts, can be found roaming the wilds. Mysterious curses follow random townsfolk and villages. Since the beginning of the Age of the Widow, wild animals have grown distinctly more wild, distinctly more animal, and the rural parts of the word have grown significantly more dangerous than they used to be.[/indent][/indent] [b] ❖ What’s Still Standing? ❖ [/b] [indent][indent]The Fib, Oolasheen, Eastern Majulin, and the Brown Lands have seen a near total collapse of society, and are currently considered ‘fallen lands.’ Dark and uncharted, you would only visit these lands if you’re a suicidal adventurer, or if you have something to hide. The Nine Sisters, legendary figures who defined much of Invernier’s past and present, built nine great cities across the continent. Of the nine cities, Castle’s Juliet and Desdemona have degraded into formless ruins, while Castle Cleopatra and Castle Ophelia, while more or less intact, have been abandoned, and taken over by dark forces. Castle Titania was devastated during events several hundred years ago, well before the Age of the Widow, but is still often frequented by travelers. Castle Miranda, Castle Viola, and Castle Cordelia are still in use as major cities, while Castle Inger Biot remains the high seat of King Masbeth, the sole remaining monarch on Invernier. Quishan, Primaveira, and Redemption are still standing as fully unified nations, with Quishan the only land to still hold a monarch in power with direct authority descended from the time of the Sisters. All other governments and societies are confined to tiny nations, villages, or city-states.[/indent][/indent] [/indent][/hider] [h3][u]T H E T E M P E S T A [/u][/h3] [hider=The Twilight Moors] [i]Rocky, grassy, and gloomy, the Tempesta is a land where the sun filters down yellow and full of twilight, and a gentle, perpetual drizzle is steered across the moors by an endless wind. Old stone shacks and hovels dot the countryside, and it seems every third hill has a tomb from a long forgotten war plugged into its side. The Tempesta is a place of travelers: people looking for a place to hide, or people on their way to something better—if they play their cards right.[/i] The Tempesta was once the great gateway between the south and the far west, though in recent years the old routes have fallen into disrepair, and the September Revolt has scattered warriors, insurgents, heroes, and murderers all across the hidden crevices of the land. The Tempesta is one of the few places were magic is largely tolerated, and charms and superstition have long been a part of the folk-culture of the Tempesta moors. As our starting location, and as the home of likely most of the cast, this will probably be the most relevant section within the location listing. [indent][b] ❖ The September Revolt ❖ [/b] [indent][indent]The Revolt was a bloody and drawn out civil war that occurred roughly five years before the RPG, fought between the Army of Heroes that had long controlled the Tempesta, and the People’s Legion, who ultimately proved victorious over the old regime. Most Tempestans see the Revolt as first and foremost a power struggle, despite the picture painted by the Legion as a noble battle of ideals. The war finally ended when General Nostro, commander of the Legion, seized the ancient city of Castle Miranda, which until that point had stayed outside the conflict. Endangering one of the only remaining Cities of the Sisters was a highly controversial and unexpected move, though it was an act that essentially won the war. During the final few months of the September Revolt, after Castle Miranda was taken, a vicious battle of attrition raged across the Tempesta, with both the Army and the Legion resorting to brutal strategies to gain ground. The Army forced themselves on towns and delivered brutal punishment to any Tempestan who refused to help, desperate to retain power even after losing their stronghold. The Legion engaged in indiscriminate massacres to combat the Army’s guerilla tactics, and consolidate its rule as quickly as possible. These last months were known as the Unforgivens. As the losing side, the Army is most often blamed for prolonging the war, and is usually seen in a worse light than the Legion, though this can vary from town to town and person to person. The Legion likes to label the war as a clash of ideals, but, ultimately, most people couldn’t care less about ‘ideals,’ and are just glad the fighting is finally over. [/indent][/indent] [b] ❖ The Army of Heroes ❖ [/b] [indent][indent]The Army of Heroes had been the near undisputed masters of the Tempesta for over fifty years, founded by the legendary Mauslin Lombardo, a knight who saved the town of Islington after recruiting a small band of normal Tempestans and leading them against a werewolf pack. The Army had long considered itself a protector and preserver of Tempestan culture, and was strongly opposed to changes in technology, economy, or societal structure. They eventually gained a reputation for luxurious living, corruption, and extortion, though were always quite effective at killing monsters and protecting the populace. Generally, they were more professional in the north, and less so in the south, nearest to Quishan, where the region was safer thanks to Quishani soldiers from Everparch Fortress. The Army of Heroes was well trained, and the members who have survived this long are either particularly skilled, particularly lucky, or particularly ruthless. Though the Army celebrated Tempesta’s rather magical-leaning culture, like the rest of the Tempesta it approved only of small and basic magic for day to day use, and was generally unkind to true magicians. Some survivors still fervently oppose the Legion, though most others are tired, jaded, and hope for nothing more than surviving as long as they can. Many have tried fleeing to the south, in Quishan, which the Army had always been on amicable terms with, though Quishan has been careful to avoid conflict with General Nostro, and has turned back many refugees straight into the arms of the Legion.[/indent][/indent] [b] ❖ The People’s Legion ❖ [/b] [indent][indent]Led by General Nostro, the People’s Legion was originally a small town militia operating out of the Prospero Lowlands. Where the nationalistic Army of Heroes wished to preserve the Tempesta’s culture and see nothing change, ever, the nationalistic Legion wishes to see the Tempesta consolidate and unify as a world power. Technically speaking, the Tempesta is a protectorate of the Queendom of Quishan, though King Masbeth is so hands off the region basically runs itself. However, the Legion believes it is imperative the Tempesta make a public break from Quishan and establish itself as a new empire, harkening back to the days of Miranda Newcastle herself. Their uniform consists of a mud-green cloak and a forest-green uniform with shiny gold buttons. Each Legionairre is usually equipped with an iron shortsword, though equipment varies from position to position and duty to duty. Despite many misgivings towards the Legion, they are generally seen positively due to being the winning side, as well as avoiding the extortion and extravagant living the Army became known for. The People’s Legion is significantly more pro-magic than practically any other group on Invernier, save maybe one or two very obscure cults and hunter societies. The Legion believes in restoring the legacy of the old queendom and Miranda Newcastle, who, though not as great and influential as Cleopatra Kingslayer herself, was considered the mightiest magician of the Sisters, and made notable advances to the art. Many magicians, fearing persecution in their own lands, have travelled to the Tempesta to seek employ with General Nostro, or simple shelter in one of the more tolerant hamlets. Most Tempestans see these folk as intruders and moochers, and visibly foreign magicians are generally shunned (though it’s better treatment than they’d find in other parts of the world).[/indent] [/indent] [b] ❖ Castle Miranda ❖ [/b] [indent][indent]The great city founded by Queen Miranda Newcastle, third eldest of the Nine Sisters. Her rain magic still haunts the surrounding land, casting the area into an eternal heavy rain. Miranda’s old gardens still bloom thick and well-watered all across the city, curtains of ivy, flowers in every color, proud old trees sporadically casting shade on the streets below. The air here is fresh and clear, and smells of growing things. You can’t help but feel a little less heavy walking through the city streets, like some invisible weight is being washed away by the rain. The city has a tangled, asymmetrical feel to its streets, and it can be difficult to find your way at times. Most buildings in the city are around two stories, and the stonework is covered over by white, waterproof plaster. Windows tend to be large and great in number, while streets are wide, and never terribly claustrophobic. The city slopes upward, with the castle proper constructed high on the slope of Mt. Insuretta.[/indent][/indent] [b] ❖ The Causeway ❖ [/b] [indent][indent]The Causeway is the northern region of the Tempesta, marking the border between the gloomy moors and the bright, grassy scrubland of Andrea’s Fault. The towns of the Causeway tend to be the poorest in the Tempesta—this is a transition-place, and in-between, a region only visited by travelers on their way to brighter pastures and new starts. People here are less distrustful of strangers than elsewhere in the Tempesta, but are much more private, and communities are less tight-knit.[/indent][/indent] [b] ❖ The Prospero Lowlands ❖ [/b] [indent][indent]The border between the Tempesta and the Queendom of Quishan. This region is sunnier, warmer, and has more agriculture compared to the livestock emphasis in the north. Prospero was originally a rather multicultural region, distinct from the rest of the Tempesta due to its interactions with Quishan and the Wainwaters, though this has changed in the decade or so that the People’s Legion has been active. Tempestan qualities have been emphasized, strangers more ostracized, and Quishani citizens have become increasingly unwelcome. Generally, these changes have become supported by the Prosperans, though there are, of course, some exceptions.[/indent][/indent] [b] ❖ The Wainwaters ❖ [/b] [indent][indent]Though technically a province of the Tempesta, the Wainwaters are a distant and curious place, and most Tempestans avoid it if possible. A marshy wetland, where villages stand on stilts above the ground, the Wainwaters is known to be a rather dangerous place. Sandwiched between the fallen lands of Oolasheene and the witch forests of Brujeria, the Wainwaters tend to see many monsters and dangerous strangers, and its people mostly decide that hiding and obfuscating is a better solution than outright combat. The cultures of the Wainwaters have a long-standing history of magical practice, earning them no small amount of dislike and distrust from many other regions.[/indent][/indent] [b] ❖ Calibad Forest ❖ [/b] [indent] [indent]The Calibad Forest, stretching across much of the Quarttomarch Mountains, was once a massive woodland created by Miranda Newcastle herself. Centuries ago, the Calibad was nearly three times its current size, augmented by Miranda’s magic. However, in the years after the Age of the Queens, woodsmen and foresters chipped away at the old woodlands heavily, especially during the third efernight that followed the passing of the Sisters. By modern day, it was devastated to a shadow of what it was during Miranda’s time; however, the Army of Heroes, passionate about the culture and history of the moors, placed the woods under heavy protection, a policy that has been continued by the Peoples Legion. However, years of abuse have not been forgotten by the trees, and many strange, dark powers still lurk in the woods, especially as you move closer to the mountains. Rumor says that, the deeper you go in the forest, the more vengeful it becomes.[/indent] [/indent] [/indent][/hider] [hider=The Lands Beyond] [h3][u]T H E F A R W E S T [/u][/h3] [hider=Patriness, Andrea’s Fault, Castle Titania, and the Late-Night Desert] The far west is a widely varied land, and generally more prosperous than other regions of the world. Andrea’s Fault, in particular, has seen the rise of several successful townships—such as Nicodeme and Prisk—that have thrived even in this age of darkness. The presence of strong rock and metal deposits has allowed towns in these regions to become heavily fortified. [indent][b] ❖ Patriness ❖ [/b] [hider=The Goblin Kingdom][indent] [indent]The goblin kingdom of Patriness was established roughly 2000 years ago, during the Age of the Queens, founded after a slave revolt drove off the elves of the Fosterling Mountains and liberated the goblins who had long worked there in chains. In modern times, much of south Patriness has fallen, and the Fosterling Woods have become an uninhabitable, haunted place. However, north and east Patriness has weathered the storm well enough, and remains, as it always has, a hotbed for merchants and aspiring diplomats. Faline, the City of the Tower, is the current capital of Patriness, and is famous for hosting the Tower of the Seers, an enormous tower of over 2500 feet, host to numerous government facilities, several mercantile guildhalls, the largest bank in the entire west, and a number of academies. It was constructed, they say, by nephilim architecture and magic (and payed for, of course, by wealthy goblin coffers).[/indent][/indent][/hider] [b] ❖ Andrea’s Fault ❖ [/b] [hider=A Hopeful Place][indent][indent]A dry, rocky, and sunny land, Andrea’s Fault is green with hardy plants and stalwart moss, and has a sort of brightness to it missing from most other parts of Invernier. The air is crisp, and somewhat chillier than in the Tempesta, or in Patriness. The fortified city of Mediolann can be found here, seated at the crossroad of two ancient roads—the Great Southern Road, going from the far south up to the ruins of old Castle Titania, and the now defunct Western Road, leading from the lost city of Adelaide to the fallen ruins of Castle Ophelia. As a result of its history, Andrea’s Fault is decidedly anti-magic, and one of the worst genocides in the last 1000 years took place after the fall of the western Mage-Kingdom. When magicians were set adrift by the collapse of their home, Mediolann forces took the opportunity to round up as many as they could, slaughtering the magicians en masse and almost entirely wiping out the culture of Titania in the process. It was common among old Invernish epic adventure stories for youthful protagonists to begin their quests in Andrea’s Fault, the Land Between Lands, the Land That Points in All Directions. [hider=Origin of the Name] The name ‘Andrea’s Fault’ originated from the golden age of magic, roughly 1000 years ago, when a woman known as Andrea Rubicundio was sentenced to death by the Mage-King of Castle Titania. Andrea escaped her execution, the first person to ever openly defy a Mage-Kingdom and live, and, half-dead, with nowhere to go, she made her way south. The stories say she first travelled to the elves of Gestalt and obtained from them three great Gifts, though the details vary between versions, and others have her traveling to Castle Ophelia instead. Whatever the case, she eventually made her way to a no-man’s land between Patriness, the Tempesta, Oolasheene, and the Desert, and settled in the ruins of the then dilapidated Mediolann. When the King of Titania, Medraut Harvestar, discovered her location, he decided a message needed to be sent. Invoking his authority as a Mage-King, he Named the entire region “Andrea’s Fault,” a powerful piece of magic that burned this new name onto almost every map on the continent and erased its previous name from all memory. In addition, he cast a terrible curse, setting loose monsters and misfortune on the Fault. However, despite all odds, Andrea rallied the few people still living in this no-man’s land and fought off the dark forces of King Medraut, eventually restoring the city of Mediolann and creating a safe haven for enemies of the western Mage-Kingdom. [/hider][/indent][/indent][/hider] [b] ❖ The Late-Night Desert ❖ [/b] [hider=The Elf-Sands][indent][indent]A mysterious place in the far west of Invernier, the Late-Night Desert has been an elven domain for as long as anyone can remember. The Elf-Desert, many call it, a strange and tricky place where the sands cast illusions, and dark creatures hide in the shadows of the dunes. The Late-Night Desert is cold and rocky, and riddled with old elvish tunnels. From the Gestalted Mountains, the elves maintain control of the region, often trading with humans in the south, and occasionally with goblins in the southwest. Though it isn’t exactly a high bar to clear, the Gestalt elves are generally more human-acting than their counterparts in the north and east, and they are unusually open to allowing human, goblin, and carnelian traveler’s to trade and bunk in their domains. The Late-Night Desert is considered a holy place, and the efernight is unusually weak here. It is common for humans from all across the continent to make religious pilgrimages to the Desert, a practice that somewhat confuses the elves, but is written off as just another human eccentricity.[/indent][/indent][/hider] [b] ❖ The Vanities ❖ [/b] [hider=Shadow of the Past][indent] [indent] The islands that make up the Vanities are misty and forested, and covered in ancient stone ruins that seem to grow form the thick vegetation. The old Empire of Vence had long ago reigned from these islands, and established a mighty dominion that came to overshadow Quishan itself during the Age of the Vanities. Eventually, it collapsed—no magical catastrophe, no heart-wrenching conflict between friends, or family—it was nothing more than poor leaders making poor decisions, and people allowing it to happen. Eventually, the wealthy and powerful Vence of old imploded, and the islands dissolved into infighting. In the current era, there are a handful of small encampments surrounding the islands, living around old, powerful electric bonfires built during the golden age of the Empire. As the electric lanterns scattered throughout the ruins were constructed during a historic high-point for technology and industry, the islands are relatively safe from the efertide. However, many dark and powerful creatures have taken up residence in the old ruins as a result, and only the local clans known how to safely navigate the region—a secret they have no interest in sharing with outsiders. The Vanities also have strong negative connotations to the rest of Invernier, and, even disregarding the rumors of dark powers, the islands are considered places of bad fortune. The port-town of Prisk, technically a settlement of Andrea’s Fault, was build over the ruins of an old Vencish city.[/indent][/indent][/hider] [b] ❖ Castle Titania ❖ [/b] [hider=The City of Warbling Dreams][indent][indent]The Crown of the West, Castle Titania was founded by Titania Dreamwalker, fourth eldest of the Nine Sisters. It was a city arranged in a series of seven concentric circles with towering fences of iron railing dividing each of the individual sections, the buildings and streets arranged in a complex symmetrical pattern leading in to the center. Titania was well known for her strange indulgences in fae-magic, and there are times when the city’s geometries seem physically impossible, streets containing more houses than they should, doorways opening to places they shouldn’t open to, places where time moves faster or slower than it ought, and other such twists and turns of reality. At the center of the city are the ruins of the failed Tower of Want that King Medraut Harvestar attempted to construct. A Tower of Want is a potent magical instrument, though no such thing has been successfully completed on Invernier since the Nameless Years. Medraut’s Tower was ultimately a disaster, its failure ravaging Castle Titania and triggering the collapse of the Mage-Kingdoms and the end of an era. The old Tower ruins are an unpredictable place, and are generally avoided by those who visit the city. Nomads, rogues, and travelers still frequent the remains of Castle Titania, for trade, refuge, or deals that can’t take place in the polite company of proper cities. It is not uncommon for the townsfolk of nearby Idle-Want to make small pilgrimages to the Crown of the North. Some strange folk have even made permanent residence behind Titania’s iron walls, finding safe refuge in the skeleton left behind by the most irresponsible of the Sisters. [/indent][/indent][/hider][/indent] [/hider] [h3][u]O O L A S H E E N E [/u][/h3] [hider=The Fallen Country] [i]A misty and chilly land stretching out from the edges of the Late-Night Desert all the way to the Great Divide. This was once the land of Ophelia Petra, second youngest of the Nine Sisters, a firm and diligent woman who gave counsel, support, and friendship to her siblings and her country through many troubles. Now, however, the land has fallen.[/i] Even while still a Queendom, there was always a kind of haunted, aging atmosphere to the land of Oolasheene, and traveler’s moved quickly while passing through to better, brighter places. In modern times, the Hangwood Forest has overcome much of the region, and strange shapes can be seen stirring in the fog. The ground gives way to marshland suddenly and unexpectedly. Voices can be heard, echoing in the distance, even when you’re sure you’re alone. Castle Ophelia, while still mostly intact, is abandoned, and no one quite knows what the state is of the old fortress, a tall and somber city of high towers and crawling black ivy. Though there are other fallen lands on Invernier, old countries that have collapsed into abandoned and dangerous wastes, Oolasheene is the region that we all know to be cursed land, through and through. [/hider] [h3][u]Q U I S H A N [/u][/h3] [hider=The Last Queendom] [i]The realm of King Masbeth is a warm land of rolling hills, strange boulder-formations, and scattered wildflowers. Trees grow thick and green. The coast rises high on great rocky cliffs. Streams and ponds full of clear bright water constantly interrupt the landscape, as though the land is riddled with cracks into another world. There are thousands of ancient roads meandering through the land of Quishan, remnants of a lost, magical time, and they can lead a person further than they ever expected to travel.[/i] Though there are three other great cities from the time of the Sisters that remain in use, the land of Quishan is the only one to have remained a single, powerful queendom since the time of its founding Sister. King Masbeth rules from the capital city of Inger Biot, maintaining a complex system of farms, villages, and ports, and order upon order of knights to keep this sliver of civilization intact against the eroding forces of the Age of the Widow. Quishan’s culture and economy focuses largely on farming and trade. As the undisputed master of Full Moon Bay, the country is an important business center, even during the stagnation of the current Age. [i]Fat, arrogant, and spoiled,[/i] some might say of Quishan, though never within earshot of its cold and fearsome knights. All Quishani magicians are required to register with the House of Wisdom in Inger Biot, and can be called on at any time in the service of the country. They must also check in with the House once every two years, unless given special leave to go travelling. [indent][b] ❖ The Haguewatch ❖ [/b] [indent][indent]An elite order of knights that protects Quishan and represents its interests in foreign lands. Unlike the rest of the country’s government forces, the Haguewatch is personally overseen by King Masbeth himself. These soldiers are generally taught rudimentary spells to supplement their power, and have a reputation for being cold, stoic, and ruthless. Their helmets, never removed in public, are always made to fully cover up their face. No knight wears the same armor as another. Haguewatch knights generally fall under two different divisions, the Witnesses and the Heralds. Witnesses patrol Quishan, while Heralds represent Quishan in distant lands, and are occasionally dispatched to kill monsters on behalf of foreign nations, or to act as bullies or reminders of Quishan’s overwhelming diplomatic and military power.[/indent][/indent] [b] ❖ King Masbeth MacDowenmarch ❖ [/b] [indent][indent]The King Eternal, Masbeth has ruled Quishan for nearly 2000 years, having ascended shortly after the death of his daughter. He is the original husband of Queen Inger, the Sister who created of Castle Inger Biot and the eldest sibling of the Nine. Masbeth’s will is generally executed by his Thanes, and he himself is rather hands-off when it comes to the management of the country. He is a distant, mythic figure to Quishanis, and the source of much dark and amusing gossip. Because Masbeth is so reclusive, it is exceptionally fun and easy to create a wide variety of rumors about the King and his secret plans. Most, despite common sense, are believed with great fervency. Some of them might even be true.[/indent][/indent] [b] ❖ Castle Inger Biot ❖ [/b] [indent][indent]The capital city of Quishan, a city with high walls and strong red tiles along the roofs and streets. Inger Biot is known for its many cramped streets, making the city feel much, much larger than it is. Many walls and buildings feature beautiful and arcane geometries carved into the walls, most of them following a rather unsettling eye motif. The city’s walls are nigh impenetrable, and the central citadel rises far, far higher than any other building in the city. Inger Biote is built on top of the mouth of the Red River, with a great arching tunnel beneath the Citadel to allow boats to pass beneath it. It is a bustling port city that sees many strange faces in its vast marketplaces, a strange mixing pot unlike anywhere else of Invernier.[/indent][/indent] [b] ❖ Gran Sléinn ❖ [/b] [indent][indent]A port city on the outer coast of Quishan. Gran Sléinn is infamous for its blackmarkets and criminal trade—however, its continued existence is essentially sanctioned by Inger Biot, to allow for all deals and trades that otherwise can’t happen in the light of good and respectable company, and to give the King an easy way to keep an eye on the coming and going of criminal elements.[/indent][/indent] [b] ❖ The House of Wisdom ❖ [/b] [indent][indent]A research institute and academy located in the inner walls of Castle Inger Biot. The House studies and regulates magic, and is where all Quishani magicians are required to register. It is known for its beautiful vaulted ceilings and patterned mosaics. Though few outside Quishan’s magical community are aware of this, the House was designed and built by Inger herself, who, among other things, had been a skilled architect and artist.[/indent][/indent] [b] ❖ The Dolwarden ❖ [/b] [indent][indent]The Dolwarden was once its own independent state, although Masbeth conquered and subjugated the ancient forest over a five hundred years ago. However, about 200 years into the Age of the Widow, as things went from bad to worse across the continent, the Dolwarden successfully revolted and split off from Quishan, only to be brutally reconquered about fifty years later by an elite legion of Haguewatch knights. There is still strong resentment towards Quishan among the populace of the Dolwarden, and the capital at Bancrow is known to have made several diplomatic outreaches to Viola and to the elf-kingdom Magdalene. People from the Dolwarden tend to be highly skilled hunters and woodsmen.[/indent][/indent] [/indent][/hider] [h3][u]P R I M A V E I R A [/u][/h3] [hider=The Green Lands] [i]Forests and fields, and great stretches of green. Primaveira is a lush, dark, and cloudy land, where the sky hangs close to the ground and dusk-colored flowers bloom from the bushes. A wind blows in uninterrupted from the flat coastal plains in the south, full of the smell of the sea. Primaveira has long been a contested land, and not even the Sisters themselves could claim the country for long. It has seen countless kings and queens come and go, and will likely see countless more.[/i] Primaveira, currently under the control of the Levantine Republic, has long felt a rivalry towards Quishan, which has, at various points over the centuries, attempted to conquer the region, occasionally gaining significant ground. No armed clashes have occurred for over a hundred years, but tensions with Quishan have not lightened up. Like most other regions of the world, Primaveira is quite unfavorable towards magic, and while things are somewhat more liberal in the prosperous, well-traveled Verdura, the south has explicitly outlawed all magical practice, and will arrest magicians on sight. Primaveirans are a people comfortable with darkness, perhaps due to the near constant cloud-cover, or maybe the sporadic trees and canyons that cut through the land. Perhaps because of this they have somewhat less prejudice towards the local elves and carnelians that one might find elsewhere on Invernier. [b] ❖ Levant ❖ [/b] [indent][indent]The port of Levant is the oldest city in Primaveira, constantly assailed by thick mist. It is sprawling and white, and buildings rarely rise above two stories here. Levant is famous for its four great lighthouses, rising high and proud along the solid stone docks. Levant is the seat of Primaveira’s government, a council consisting of ten Senators.[/indent][/indent] [b] ❖ The Pravarad ❖ [/b] [indent][indent]A small island chain currently under the control of the Levantine Republic, though they have, at various times, been their own separate nation. The Pravarad is an important trade center for the Republic, though native Pravarada tend to be somewhat poorer than the merchants who base their operations out of the isle. [/indent][/indent] [/hider] [h3][u]M I L O S [/u][/h3] [hider=Destiny’s Cradle] [i]A hilly and sunny land that stretches out in every direction, Milos is a bare place of sparse forests and golden fields. The west is summery and pleasant, while on the other side of the Milosa Hills is a hard and craggy badland. Old magic sits deep in the ground, a kind of shivery wind you can feel while standing still, far from civilization. Ancient ruins are a common sight in Milos, broken castles and standings stones and strange metal contraptions that no longer work—this was where the early work of the Sisters took place, stone and metal and magic, their first steps towards a great and terrible destiny that would shape all of Invernier for thousands of years to come.[/i] Milos is home to the great city Viola, the first home of the Nine Sisters, and the place that sparked their rise to power. Caravans carrying powerful electric bonfires are common in these lands, and many people here are nomadic, eking out a hard and impermanent existence across the land. Outside the capital city of Viola, which itself has seen better times, most people in this region of the world are quite poor, especially in the western lands of the Mavwander. Milos, despite the presence of strange and advanced technology, is a highly spiritual region. The mystic practices of Seathe are common in this land, though Seathe here is considered distinct from most magical practices, and other forms of magic are highly frowned upon. [b] ❖ Castle Viola ❖ [/b] [indent][indent]A strange old city, where most other buildings on Invernier are made from wood or rock, Castle Viola features numerous bronze support beams, walls, and roofing—the work of a genius far ahead of her time. The unique stone-and-metal architecture and engineering involved in Castle Viola would one day inspire the industrialized technology of the Age of Iron some 800 years later. Indeed, the now disgraced Messenger’s Institute, once a major school of math, science, and architecture. In recent years, Castle Viola has fallen on hard times. Metal is often stripped from ancient buildings to be sold as scrap, or repurposed for weapons. The Messenger’s Institute works hard maintaining the complex lighting system that keeps the city glowing at night, but every year their funding and manpower dwindles. [/indent][/indent] [b] ❖ The Baptistry ❖ [/b] [indent][indent]Once an ancient fortress that rivaled the Cities of the Sisters themselves, the Baptistry was constructed by Viola, Inger, and Cleopatra together, combining their impressive knowledge of architecture and engineering to create a mighty citadel rising up on an artificial hill. The Baptistry has been periodically sacked, reconquered, then sacked again over the Ages, and has developed something of an ill reputation, though in the current years it is rumored to have fallen under the control of the House of Clouds, a rather curious church with controversial opinions regarding the legacy of the Sisters.[/indent][/indent] [b] ❖ The Mavwander ❖ [/b] [indent][indent]A craggy and inhospitable land and exiles and rogues found to the west of the Milosa Hills. When Milos was still a unified queendom, criminals were often exiled to the Mavwander, and the region retains a certain negative reputation as a land of ne’er-do-wells. These days, it isn’t much worse off from the more fertile lands of Oliviandy in the east, though the climate certainly takes its toll on the region’s inhabitants.[/indent][/indent] [/hider] [h3][u]T H E F A R E A S T [/u][/h3] [hider=The Brown Lands, the High Tombs, Castle Julieta, and East Majulin] A land sweeping winds and devastated lands, the East is a great swathe of fallen queendoms. People eke out a hard existence in this melancholy place, far from the safety of the last great queendoms. [indent][b] ❖ The Brown Lands ❖ [/b] [hider=The Lost Gardens][indent] [indent]Wasted brown valleys where few things still grow. This was once the living domain of the kind and gentle Julieta Sinqueleur, youngest of the Nine Sisters. Her realm was known for its meadows and gardens, and for the merciful rule of her bloodline. However, her family was one of the first to die out, over 700 years ago, and in the years since the land has grown dark and burnt, as though mourning for its lost queen.[/indent][/indent][/hider] [b] ❖ The High Tombs and Castle Julieta ❖ [/b] [hider=The Realm of the Dead][indent] [indent]High hills and scraggly cliffs pull themselves from the earth at the far ends of the Brown Lands. Here, cold and austere ruins of stone stand as the final resting place of Queens Julieta and Desdemona, and many of their descendants. It is here that the ghostly, cathedral-like ruins of Castle Julieta stand, nestled at the bottom of a depression between four hills. Castle Julieta is barely standing in the modern era, a collapsed shadow of a city with great stained glass windows occasionally rising above the rubble. The High Tombs are revered, in a way, by most of Invernier, and in the time before the efernight there were occasional pilgrimages to the sight of Julieta’s fall. However, by modern times, it is largely considered taboo to visit the dead lands of the High Tombs.[/indent][/indent][/hider] [b] ❖ East Majulin and Castle Desdemona ❖ [/b] [hider=The Fallen North][indent] [indent]An open prairie with old, scattered trees that have weathered more than any living person could fathom. Eastern Majulin was once the seat of a great country, though, like that of Julieta, the old realm of Queen Desdemona ibn Firnas was one of the first to fall after the time of the Sisters had passed. Strong nomadic traditions endured here in the years after the Queendom’s end, though by the Age of the Widow most had fled west, leaving only a handful of tiny settlements scattered across the land. They say the Undead live in this region of the world, as few people wish to venture into the Fallen Land of Lost Majulin.. Castle Desdemona, in its heyday, was a sprawled-out city of looping, ribbon-like roads and tall, flowering arches. It’s time has come and gone, however, and the city now lies in ruin. It spreads out much wider than many other of the Cities of the Sisters, even in its current, devastated state, and rumors say that strange cults and hermits have made a living somewhere in the old fortress.[/indent][/indent][/hider] [b] ❖ The Tyrant’s Desert ❖ [/b] [hider=The Jailer’s Sands][indent] [indent]Like the Late-Night Desert, the Tyrant is a cold desert, though it is much sandier and more desolate than its western cousin. To the north are the Canticle Mts, where elves are rumored to live, and at the very center are the ruins of the Catechism, a long dormant volcano and mountain range that had, throughout the centuries, been used as a prison, though has now, supposedly, been abandoned. There are few willing to travel the fallen land to check on its state, and if any elves live in the nearby Canticles, then they are certainly of the reclusive and inhospitable kind. [/indent][/indent][/hider][/indent] [/hider] [h3][u]T H E F I B [/u][/h3] [hider=The Realm of the Mighty] [i]Great expansive plains buckled by boulders, valleys, and canyons. This is a place of hidden caves and secret grottos, the skin of the land shivering with a light cover of frost. Though it seems barren of trees, little unexpected woodlands hide in difficult to notice corners of the land, revealing themselves sporadically. Of course, the Fib is a fallen land, and fallen lands don’t see travelers these days. The people of the north and the south spread a million and one rumors about ghosts and monsters prowling the abandoned Thronelands, and the shadowy valleys of the north.[/i] The Fib was once the domain of Cleopatra Drohaven Kingslayer, mightiest of the Nine Sisters. She established a sprawling and heavily urbanized queendom to rival even the metal citadel of Castle Viola. Though Castle Cleopatra, which sits perched on cliffs of the Great Divide, is a magnificent fortress in its own right, even while abandoned, Cleopatra was not idle during her rule of over 200 years, and she built up a vast urban cityscape that sprawled out larger than most small nations. These old, seemingly endless ruins are now referred to as the Thronelands. To the south of the Fib is the city of Asylum. Not much rumor escapes the Fallen Country of the Fib, but traveler's in northern Milos say that strangers, alive and well, occasionally come out from the Long March, and later return to some hidden refuge that has endured the fall of the once great Queendom.[/hider] [h3][u]R E D E M P T I O N [/u][/h3] [hider=The Land that Guards the North] [i]The snow is a silent, unforgiving hand, interrupted only during rare, sunny weeks that split the wind and the cold like water through fire. Redemption is an inhospitable land, home to only the hardiest and the strongest of people. They value community here, and they take great pride in their north-hardened country. Many aging stone forts sit perched in the mountains like birds above the passages through the mountains, quietly observing the lonely roads that lead up to Redemption’s capital among the Horns of the World.[/i] Redemption has, in the last two hundred years, restored itself after a devastating collapse at the start of the Age of the Widow. Much of the country falls under the shadow of the Horns of the World, and the brutality of the mountains can make for difficult living. The fall of the efernight took the country by surprise, and the fracturing was quick. However, though the royal line of Queen Cordelise died out during the fall, the survivors regrouped to the town of Berenice on the banks of the Sea of Breath. Eventually, the village of Skinfault was reclaimed roughly 150 years after the initial loss of Redemption, while Castle Cordelia was restored only 80 years later. Though open to travelers, the people of Redemption tend to look down on what they see as the soft folk of south Invernier, and enjoy a very blunt, to-the-point culture. Redemption is currently led by Lady Quinn Bostardi, who successfully campaigned for nimination by the council of Thanes to serve as Regent of the lost royal line, and command authority over the north. [/hider] [/hider]