Post by Viola on Mar 3, 2015 1:23:43 GMT
Hello, and welcome to the Iris Islands.
Where are those, you ask? Well... very far away... and quite a few years ago... there lay a civilization in the times where steel was pitted against steel, and fire against thunder.
The Iris Islands are a set of small landmasses to the north of the world- an isolated area that no other nation has touched in many, many centuries. In total, five countries exist here.
Niveus is the largest of the five- known as "The White Country" due to its tundra to the north and limestone canyons of the eponymous color, it is a land that flourishes in spite of a harsh climate. As would be assumed, all of its cities are generally to the south of this nation- an area flooded by river deltas each year. It is extremely fertile land, and thus the economy of Niveus thrives from trading crops such as wheat, barley, fruits and vegetables for metal and wood resources that it contains very little of. Due to its trade, Niveus has always been a very, very rich nation- yet, once upon a time, it was also a warmonger. Not even half a century ago, Niveus, under a corrupt king, had attempted to invade Seara and take its land to become a completely self-sufficient nation. War broke out... and many died pointlessly in the conflict. While Niveus is currently peaceful, it has a strong history of bloodshed and war. Niveus' government was once one of absolute rule... but after many deadly wars with Seara, the public rose up and forced their leader to sign a treaty with the people- a constitution that doled out power to a king or queen's delegates (one from each city), turning the government into a limited monarchy. There is no bloodline, and the current king or queen appoints the next based on a unanimous choice with his or her delegates. If a king or queen dies before a choice is made, the prime delegate (the delegate from Aeon, the capital city) is crowned the new king or queen.
Seara is divided from Niveus by a mountain chain spanning from the northern coast to the southern coast. It is known as "The Black Country" due to its economical focus upon mining. From iron ore to metallurgy to carpentry, Seara is built around trading raw building materials and their skills with using said materials. Due to the forests in the north and the west, they also have lumber as a primary export. While they have a long history of feuds, disputes and even war with Niveus, they have been on peaceful terms for decades and have many trading agreements with one another. In terms of military forces, Seara possesses schools of magic as well as a healthy wyvern population for prospective riders. The government of Seara is also a limited monarchy- yet, in this case, power is divided among a rather large royal family. Said to be descended from Manaketes who populated the lands in ancient times, Seara is known to possess the Falchion- a blade said to be carved from the fang of Naga herself, it is said to have the strength to repel darkness. Unfortunately, its partner- the Shield of Seals and the five jewels... have been long lost to time. The Shield, said to be crafted from a scale of Naga, has not been seen for centuries since it came into Seara's possession.
Thirdly, we have Viridis, "The Green Country". An island south of Seara, it is a peaceful, self-sufficient nation that has little contact with Seara nor Niveus. Heavily forested and covered in inhabitable marshland, the people get by- they are highly civilized, and have taken to creating raised cities above the marshes on columns and stilts. The government is run by a council of delegates directly elected by the townspeople due to the relatively small population, and the head of said council is known simply as 'The Elder' due to their wise nature. Perhaps the most interesting thing about Viridis is that it is almost entirely populated by the Fiara- known to humans as Beastkin. They are able to take on the form of wolves using a special stone, and have been repelled by humans since they were discovered. Thought to be a subset of the Laguz people of old, the Fiara Tribe is now respected by most formal governments, if still treated with caution and still mocked and hated by many humans who dislike the change in attitude.
Fourthly and finally, there is Ardor, "The Red Country". A large nation directly south of Niveus, it's covered in primarily flat plateau, but also has a gaping desert to the south. Either way- it lacks resources, and seems to have gotten very slim pickings when divvying up the land. Naturally, this affects their way of life- Ardoreans practice terrace farming as a way to carve into the mountains for some form of fertile land, but their primary source of food is fish and mollusks. Ardor, centuries ago, was in fact just another place in Niveus' domain- yet, years of strife endured by its citizens led to a bitter civil war not even half a century ago... which ended in a loss for all. Many lives were lost from both sides of the force... and the end result divided the country and formed Ardor- a now-civilized country attempting to become self-sufficient. While the new ruler, a young empress, is doing her best to create a haven for the few that live here. Yet... her efforts have been blackened by thieves, brigands, and others who have completely given up hope for reform. Many citizens are leaving the dying nation... and the few who stay are doing their very best to support themselves, powerless to control even their own nation's criminals.
Where are those, you ask? Well... very far away... and quite a few years ago... there lay a civilization in the times where steel was pitted against steel, and fire against thunder.
The Iris Islands are a set of small landmasses to the north of the world- an isolated area that no other nation has touched in many, many centuries. In total, five countries exist here.
Niveus is the largest of the five- known as "The White Country" due to its tundra to the north and limestone canyons of the eponymous color, it is a land that flourishes in spite of a harsh climate. As would be assumed, all of its cities are generally to the south of this nation- an area flooded by river deltas each year. It is extremely fertile land, and thus the economy of Niveus thrives from trading crops such as wheat, barley, fruits and vegetables for metal and wood resources that it contains very little of. Due to its trade, Niveus has always been a very, very rich nation- yet, once upon a time, it was also a warmonger. Not even half a century ago, Niveus, under a corrupt king, had attempted to invade Seara and take its land to become a completely self-sufficient nation. War broke out... and many died pointlessly in the conflict. While Niveus is currently peaceful, it has a strong history of bloodshed and war. Niveus' government was once one of absolute rule... but after many deadly wars with Seara, the public rose up and forced their leader to sign a treaty with the people- a constitution that doled out power to a king or queen's delegates (one from each city), turning the government into a limited monarchy. There is no bloodline, and the current king or queen appoints the next based on a unanimous choice with his or her delegates. If a king or queen dies before a choice is made, the prime delegate (the delegate from Aeon, the capital city) is crowned the new king or queen.
Seara is divided from Niveus by a mountain chain spanning from the northern coast to the southern coast. It is known as "The Black Country" due to its economical focus upon mining. From iron ore to metallurgy to carpentry, Seara is built around trading raw building materials and their skills with using said materials. Due to the forests in the north and the west, they also have lumber as a primary export. While they have a long history of feuds, disputes and even war with Niveus, they have been on peaceful terms for decades and have many trading agreements with one another. In terms of military forces, Seara possesses schools of magic as well as a healthy wyvern population for prospective riders. The government of Seara is also a limited monarchy- yet, in this case, power is divided among a rather large royal family. Said to be descended from Manaketes who populated the lands in ancient times, Seara is known to possess the Falchion- a blade said to be carved from the fang of Naga herself, it is said to have the strength to repel darkness. Unfortunately, its partner- the Shield of Seals and the five jewels... have been long lost to time. The Shield, said to be crafted from a scale of Naga, has not been seen for centuries since it came into Seara's possession.
Thirdly, we have Viridis, "The Green Country". An island south of Seara, it is a peaceful, self-sufficient nation that has little contact with Seara nor Niveus. Heavily forested and covered in inhabitable marshland, the people get by- they are highly civilized, and have taken to creating raised cities above the marshes on columns and stilts. The government is run by a council of delegates directly elected by the townspeople due to the relatively small population, and the head of said council is known simply as 'The Elder' due to their wise nature. Perhaps the most interesting thing about Viridis is that it is almost entirely populated by the Fiara- known to humans as Beastkin. They are able to take on the form of wolves using a special stone, and have been repelled by humans since they were discovered. Thought to be a subset of the Laguz people of old, the Fiara Tribe is now respected by most formal governments, if still treated with caution and still mocked and hated by many humans who dislike the change in attitude.
Fourthly and finally, there is Ardor, "The Red Country". A large nation directly south of Niveus, it's covered in primarily flat plateau, but also has a gaping desert to the south. Either way- it lacks resources, and seems to have gotten very slim pickings when divvying up the land. Naturally, this affects their way of life- Ardoreans practice terrace farming as a way to carve into the mountains for some form of fertile land, but their primary source of food is fish and mollusks. Ardor, centuries ago, was in fact just another place in Niveus' domain- yet, years of strife endured by its citizens led to a bitter civil war not even half a century ago... which ended in a loss for all. Many lives were lost from both sides of the force... and the end result divided the country and formed Ardor- a now-civilized country attempting to become self-sufficient. While the new ruler, a young empress, is doing her best to create a haven for the few that live here. Yet... her efforts have been blackened by thieves, brigands, and others who have completely given up hope for reform. Many citizens are leaving the dying nation... and the few who stay are doing their very best to support themselves, powerless to control even their own nation's criminals.