Free Central Republican-Metropolis of Canterune
The central-northern territory of a multitude of races, known to be the magocratic Free Central Republic-Metropolis of Canterune. This power was founded between the conflicts between the elves of Dione'Leonar, the dwarves of the Alloyar Shaperate, the humans of Martzhein, in a Martzhein territory known as Ruhiges - soon voted for its own independence and acted as a neutral buffer state. Rising between the conflict of all three states, and working towards a mutual peace, becoming a protectorate mastered by the Free Mages - working alongside dwarven shapers, elven magistrates and human mage-slayers.
The Republic is relatively new amongst the powers of Lorthal, founded as a neutral alliance between Humans, Dwarves and Elves after the wars and schisms faced between them during the 5th-6th centuries P.D. However, its history is steeped in the bloody but successful 'Peoples Liberation', after repeated taxation had drained its riches, resources and strangled trade, the people's hero Alvarez Canterun led a great revolt and took control from the imperial powers of Martzhein. The war reached a climax, and the Alloyar Shaperate recognised it as an independent nation. Since then, the Republic has mediated to actions of peace and prosperity, ensuring the safety of its people and prosperous free trade within Lorthal. The Republic is openly accepting too many that wish to join it and seeks to keep the peace between the three larger kingdoms - acting as a peace-keeping service, paying homage and respect to Magocracies of old, but wary in following its footsteps. The leader in public magical affairs upon Lorthal, led by the Two Consuls, the Consul of Mages and the Consul of the Commons. Holding democratic values, wishing to take the lead in giving power to the people and fair representation, with an open foreign policy to immigrants and faiths, as well as open practices of magic - but the mage universities and colleges are state-controlled, and maintained through the patronage of the Consul of Mages. The Republic is empowered by a powerful democratic elite, with two main parties, the Magocrats and the Vox Populi.
Its burgeoning literacy was advanced by Gnomish innovation, and the printing press - but also by the Republic's main desire to provide food and clean waters for its people; advancing in medical, alchemical, engineering and divine orders - building water-mills, aqueduct systems from the mountains and water-purifying stations. Leading to progressive philosophies and prominent business and co-operation with the Dwarves & Elves, also seeking to overcome the issues of acid rain devastating their prosperous lands.
Located in the northern hinterland of Lorthal, connecting the West and East together by the passages between the chained lakes, flanked northward and southward by the North Bay and the Smogtide Bay. The neutral territories of Canterune have taken the north-eastern region of West Lorthal, the Canteran Steppe, the Renallie Riverlands & the Arthrime Boreals. Its borders rest upon the edges of the Moonsilver Sea to the north and the Arthrime Boreals, the Great River Dornal that stretches into the Great Sokoyva Taiga boreal-forest that stretches across the north of the western side of Lorthal; the east-facing sides of the northern range of the Perimidines and the north-facing side of the eastern range of the Perimidines marks the end of its inner continental territories, giving sea access to both the Moonsilver Sea and the Ventura Sea through the Smogtide Bay; lastly, its eastern borders reside up to the eastern shorelines of the Chained Lakes and the river divide that splits East Lorthal from West Lorthal.
The northern regions were colder and frostier throughout the year, especially through the closeness of the Moonsilver Sea, whereas the southern regions held more rains and wet weather throughout the year. However, the proximity to the Arm of Lorthal and the Perimidine Mountains gave the region a consistent and unique weather pattern of ash-storms that periodically hit the region and gave way to potential acid rain through the wet summer and autumn months.
The government that rules the lands of Canterune was an independently recognised region of united peoples between the Dwarves, Elves and Humans - that chose to be ruled as a republic after the many wars between the Humans, Elves and Dwarves. Ruled in an elective-representative diarchy, so no one person held complete power and represented the different economic and landowning classes of the government - the elite mages and the common folk, the Consuls. They refused to recognise the rule of a monarch or be dragged into their differing wars of nobility and class. They represented a free state of peoples who would elect their own representatives, the Consuls, and the differing elected parties - the Vox Populi (Populists) & the Magocrats (Mages). Meanwhile, the territorial regions are handled with care by elected mayors of towns and villages, who are representatives of the Republic. They do not control private property ownership, and has led to oligarchical circles between both parties - they hold a Republican Guard of recruited public militias, that guard their own homes and hometowns, led by a centralised and most-experienced High Watchmaster. They adopt a policy of laissez-faire, for free and uninterrupted trade occurred between the regions and gave power to the middle class of the cities and towns that gained market control of the regions, monopolising the regions between very competitive and republican trade companies. Every Canterune city, town and village have Commonweal and Majoran sympathies - the Magocrats influence is felt much more in the East, but in the dangerous parts closer to the Anbambra Swamps and more secluded regions, but also in the more populous urban centres; whereas the Commonweal were predominant everywhere, making about 90% of the population - but the middle class has no representation as a group, but rather held power in trade and commerce rather than politically, and interacted more with the Majorans. It tended to be that the most literate groups and educated became the more powerful and skilled in the politics of the region. The Magocrats held their centres of power within the colleges and 'Circle' Universities that sprang across the regions, mostly centred as positions of influence and politics within the urban sectors of Canterune. The Vox Populi held their centres of power within the courts and great beer halls that resonated in the communities and history of the Republic. Mainly, it was where the communities of the people felt the strongest and most united: mostly the large communal beer halls, the harvest centres, the marketplaces, the common green fields or even reputable and public guilds.
As a metropolitan and cosmopolitan civilised land, many faiths come to be worshipped and practised in these regions - but the Republic does not hold a central faith to its people, rather, there are smaller shrines and religious buildings that represent their people in their Districts or their neighbourhoods. Being a more magocratic society, they place more value in secular practices and private worship and do not have a centralised or organised religion in their country. However, Pelor is a popular faith in the region to the Commons and their folk, but the Republic itself does not condone religious activism, any public displays are met with scrutiny under the Archsages and Magisters, but do not discriminate anyone singular persons worship. Promethea, Ergo and Arvanos are the more popular deities in this region, as well as the Four Season Riders: Eostara, Freya, Vernoron and Boreas. Worship of the Primordial Green is open more to the rural areas, and especially in the eastern regions close to the Ambambra Swamplands. The Diabolical Ones are outlawed greatly, seen as public menaces and are usually taken down - the largest menace to the religious folk is Bane, due to the potential worship of ambitions, and the completely illegal worship of Vecna.
They are a largely agrarian and fishing community, with most (if not all) of their rural areas devoted to producing food and keeping their waters cleanly and pure from their freshwater glacial springs. The more populated areas and urban posts are located along the edges of the Chained Lakes and Renallie Riverlands, where they promote the prowess of their amazing river cities and river-stack villages. "Canterunans" took pride in the inclusiveness of their Republic, it was a place where anyone could call this place home, despite creed, ancestry, or personal history. Despite its dense populations in the cities, most of its realms are clean and safe for citizens and visitors alike. The Canterunans had an open custom of literacy and magic, with a fair discipline of achievement and merit that can be achieved through their actions and attendance in the Mage Colleges & Guild Schools. Practice and employment under these schools offered a chance to climb up the social ladder for many of the races, though it is predominantly ruled by human and half-elven groups. Canterunans also have an unlikely relationship with domesticated Oozes, known as "Gorgers", who clean the streets and buildings of dirt, sediments and public waste, maintained by Mages of the Magister class. Due to the precision in which the mages have provided the community with clean streets, clear waters and waste disposal, the mages have procured a domesticated strand of alchemically engineered oozes with magically altered intelligence and subservience to follow their commands. Not only this, through the investigations and research into the countries issue with acid rain and snow, they have founded means to coalesce the acidic territories by summoning concentrated portions of acidic oozes to drain the land of the poison within its grounds and captured them for their own personal uses and experimentation. They use these as potential research 'lab-rats' and for arcane training amongst their youth. It is a common practice that many rural children in the outer regions of the Republic be sent to the urban regions in order to build potential careers within the Mage colleges or Guild schools if they can afford the expenditure, or if they show particular talent - scouted largely by the schools and the magisters, searching for the next great expertise - developing skills from the nation of the common folk and integrating them in their lands.
The people of Canterune are a melting pot of different races - elven, dwarven, human and other mixed communities that are being represented. The smaller representations come in the form of halflings, kobolds, gnomes and changelings. Taking hold of different ancestries, neighbourhoods and personal histories. Due to their colder regions, they wear an abundance of cotton, leather and fur dress, with specially woven fashion usually consisting of three layers: undergarments, colourful shirts & first layers, and their warm coats or overalls. Hats or hoods can be a socially defining feature of the people.
PERILS
GEOGRAPHY
Located in the northern hinterland of Lorthal, connecting the West and East together by the passages between the chained lakes, flanked northward and southward by the North Bay and the Smogtide Bay. The neutral territories of Canterune have taken the north-eastern region of West Lorthal, the Canteran Steppe, the Renallie Riverlands & the Arthrime Boreals. Its borders rest upon the edges of the Moonsilver Sea to the north and the Arthrime Boreals, the Great River Dornal that stretches into the Great Sokoyva Taiga boreal-forest that stretches across the north of the western side of Lorthal; the east-facing sides of the northern range of the Perimidines and the north-facing side of the eastern range of the Perimidines marks the end of its inner continental territories, giving sea access to both the Moonsilver Sea and the Ventura Sea through the Smogtide Bay; lastly, its eastern borders reside up to the eastern shorelines of the Chained Lakes and the river divide that splits East Lorthal from West Lorthal.
Canteran Steppe
This stretch of western and northern territory filled with rolling hills and uneven plains holds many meadows, grasslands and prairies that are fed water with the streams from the winding River Kybar. Known for its chill winds, and spread of small woodlands, as well as its prominent agricultural fields and windmills, and prominent arable lands. Though, it suffers in the northern regions from permafrost and icy rainfall. The region is a host to many flying birds, ponds filled with clear ice-melt ponds and common-green fields for grazing herds of deer, caribou and elk. Primarily filled with the Vox Populi of the Canterune party, with centres of power resting in the Great Beer Halls - watched over by the Kybar Elkmasters, the noteworthy cavaliers of the region. Not to mention the proud hunters and huntresses of the Silver Lodges between this region of the elven-descended and Fey creatures that once populated the region here, and their proud use of silvered weapons to hunt down the creatures of the region.Renallie Riverlands
This region resides close to the borders of the dwarven Perimidines in the south-west and western regions, made up of two separate steeped valleys (Volksreiber Valley - Magnar Valley), and centralised into flatlands by two glacial lakes that cut into the land, fed by the River Durein and River Vade. Warmer regions, but the winters see that the smoke and winds from the Blackrock Range blight the land with the occasional acid rainfall and snow, causing a harsh Badlands effect in the region, and seeps clearly into its waters. Giving rise to a community of alchemists and engineers working to purify the flowing waters within the Good Lakes (in Volksreiber Valley, the Straightcut Lake; in Magnar Valley, at Lake Orenzo). But there have been territorial disputes between the dwarves and Republicans of this region, believing that the Republicans were infringing on the metal mines that filled this region - which leads to quite a bit of political and commercial diplomacy and disputes in this region. The Volksreiber valley folk had large disputes between the iron (and Cold Iron deposits) and stone reserves in the region that gives its people employment, but also, has been infested by cavern dwelling and mountain-dwelling Yowies.Arthrime Boreals
Beyond the Great River Kyber, its north and west regions are filled with a temperate-boreal forest that follows the rolling hills of the Canteran Steppe. Usually layered in snow for most of the year, the woodlands offer shelter and protection for the animals and herds that roam the Canteran Steppe and migrate across the Great River Dornal to the Great Sokoyva Taiga. In its northernmost regions, it is in year-long snow and ice, the grounds here are covered in permafrost, and expansion and settlement here are difficult. Though the woodlands are prized as they hold strands known as Ironwood. The Vox Populi of this region had been long-time wolf-pack riders & reindeer herdsmen, superstitious and haunted by the lost spirits, Fey and rumoured giants that dwelt within the Great Sokoyva Taiga. The region was not popular amongst the Magocrats, however, the universities had always sent expeditions and founded hermitages to help the Vox Populi of the region - especially in relation to ancient Elven ruins throughout the region, and forgotten relics that were founded in this place in the study of magic. Not to mention the numerous resources for magical components that could be located from the Sokoyva Taiga that could not be found from different regions.Chained Lakes
Beginning from the North Bay, connected by the River Byze, its northern lake is known as the Brackerend, a lake that mixes salt-water and freshwater, turning the far northern region into a small marshland. Connected then by a stream that leads towards the sea, is the Great Hearthly Lake, housing a great amount of lake-dwelling fish and shoreline animals and cold aquatic life - sometimes even the Lake itself freezes over in the winter for a time. The Lake has diverging rivers and steams, connected and fed by the River Durein from the Straightcut Lake - and a southern flow splits into the Rhusan River, and the Gray Lake, connected to the Smogtide Bay. These lakes suffer at times from the same acid rain that passes from the Blackrock Range, damaging the wildlife in the area. The lakes were believed to have been formed from meteoric impact craters long ago, flattening the lands around Canterune, and cracking the lands - expanded by the fissures and earthquakes caused by the rumble of the Blackrock Range. Here lies the central and urban heart of the Canterune regions - and the seat of the Magocrat influence amongst its river cities and small lakeside trade-ports and fishing hamlets; they have always had a connection to the waterside, and vastly improved its aqueducts and sewer systems. It connects its land trade routes from between the mountainous valleys to the sea-access corridor that connected them to the Kobolds and the Gnomes, but also the far-reaching trades of the human and dwarven kingdoms.WEATHER AND SEASONS
The northern regions were colder and frostier throughout the year, especially through the closeness of the Moonsilver Sea, whereas the southern regions held more rains and wet weather throughout the year. However, the proximity to the Arm of Lorthal and the Perimidine Mountains gave the region a consistent and unique weather pattern of ash-storms that periodically hit the region and gave way to potential acid rain through the wet summer and autumn months.
GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
The government that rules the lands of Canterune was an independently recognised region of united peoples between the Dwarves, Elves and Humans - that chose to be ruled as a republic after the many wars between the Humans, Elves and Dwarves. Ruled in an elective-representative diarchy, so no one person held complete power and represented the different economic and landowning classes of the government - the elite mages and the common folk, the Consuls. They refused to recognise the rule of a monarch or be dragged into their differing wars of nobility and class. They represented a free state of peoples who would elect their own representatives, the Consuls, and the differing elected parties - the Vox Populi (Populists) & the Magocrats (Mages). Meanwhile, the territorial regions are handled with care by elected mayors of towns and villages, who are representatives of the Republic. They do not control private property ownership, and has led to oligarchical circles between both parties - they hold a Republican Guard of recruited public militias, that guard their own homes and hometowns, led by a centralised and most-experienced High Watchmaster. They adopt a policy of laissez-faire, for free and uninterrupted trade occurred between the regions and gave power to the middle class of the cities and towns that gained market control of the regions, monopolising the regions between very competitive and republican trade companies. Every Canterune city, town and village have Commonweal and Majoran sympathies - the Magocrats influence is felt much more in the East, but in the dangerous parts closer to the Anbambra Swamps and more secluded regions, but also in the more populous urban centres; whereas the Commonweal were predominant everywhere, making about 90% of the population - but the middle class has no representation as a group, but rather held power in trade and commerce rather than politically, and interacted more with the Majorans. It tended to be that the most literate groups and educated became the more powerful and skilled in the politics of the region. The Magocrats held their centres of power within the colleges and 'Circle' Universities that sprang across the regions, mostly centred as positions of influence and politics within the urban sectors of Canterune. The Vox Populi held their centres of power within the courts and great beer halls that resonated in the communities and history of the Republic. Mainly, it was where the communities of the people felt the strongest and most united: mostly the large communal beer halls, the harvest centres, the marketplaces, the common green fields or even reputable and public guilds.
RELIGION
As a metropolitan and cosmopolitan civilised land, many faiths come to be worshipped and practised in these regions - but the Republic does not hold a central faith to its people, rather, there are smaller shrines and religious buildings that represent their people in their Districts or their neighbourhoods. Being a more magocratic society, they place more value in secular practices and private worship and do not have a centralised or organised religion in their country. However, Pelor is a popular faith in the region to the Commons and their folk, but the Republic itself does not condone religious activism, any public displays are met with scrutiny under the Archsages and Magisters, but do not discriminate anyone singular persons worship. Promethea, Ergo and Arvanos are the more popular deities in this region, as well as the Four Season Riders: Eostara, Freya, Vernoron and Boreas. Worship of the Primordial Green is open more to the rural areas, and especially in the eastern regions close to the Ambambra Swamplands. The Diabolical Ones are outlawed greatly, seen as public menaces and are usually taken down - the largest menace to the religious folk is Bane, due to the potential worship of ambitions, and the completely illegal worship of Vecna.
SOCIETY
They are a largely agrarian and fishing community, with most (if not all) of their rural areas devoted to producing food and keeping their waters cleanly and pure from their freshwater glacial springs. The more populated areas and urban posts are located along the edges of the Chained Lakes and Renallie Riverlands, where they promote the prowess of their amazing river cities and river-stack villages. "Canterunans" took pride in the inclusiveness of their Republic, it was a place where anyone could call this place home, despite creed, ancestry, or personal history. Despite its dense populations in the cities, most of its realms are clean and safe for citizens and visitors alike. The Canterunans had an open custom of literacy and magic, with a fair discipline of achievement and merit that can be achieved through their actions and attendance in the Mage Colleges & Guild Schools. Practice and employment under these schools offered a chance to climb up the social ladder for many of the races, though it is predominantly ruled by human and half-elven groups. Canterunans also have an unlikely relationship with domesticated Oozes, known as "Gorgers", who clean the streets and buildings of dirt, sediments and public waste, maintained by Mages of the Magister class. Due to the precision in which the mages have provided the community with clean streets, clear waters and waste disposal, the mages have procured a domesticated strand of alchemically engineered oozes with magically altered intelligence and subservience to follow their commands. Not only this, through the investigations and research into the countries issue with acid rain and snow, they have founded means to coalesce the acidic territories by summoning concentrated portions of acidic oozes to drain the land of the poison within its grounds and captured them for their own personal uses and experimentation. They use these as potential research 'lab-rats' and for arcane training amongst their youth. It is a common practice that many rural children in the outer regions of the Republic be sent to the urban regions in order to build potential careers within the Mage colleges or Guild schools if they can afford the expenditure, or if they show particular talent - scouted largely by the schools and the magisters, searching for the next great expertise - developing skills from the nation of the common folk and integrating them in their lands.
CULTURE
PEOPLE
The people of Canterune are a melting pot of different races - elven, dwarven, human and other mixed communities that are being represented. The smaller representations come in the form of halflings, kobolds, gnomes and changelings. Taking hold of different ancestries, neighbourhoods and personal histories. Due to their colder regions, they wear an abundance of cotton, leather and fur dress, with specially woven fashion usually consisting of three layers: undergarments, colourful shirts & first layers, and their warm coats or overalls. Hats or hoods can be a socially defining feature of the people.
HUMAN
Humans are the predominant demographic in the Republic, numbering almost 65-68% of the population. The majority of which, more than half this population, is equipped and talented enough to belong in the mage class - but the other half belongs into the majority of the Commons. They live their lives nominally, between rural areas in villages or within the safety of the river cities. They focus primarily on achieving its neutral stance amongst the other races and appreciating the expertise that comes from different cultures, backgrounds and personal histories - an egalitarian-valued society. The human dress is a blend of Elizabethan & Medieval dress (with influences of the Witcher & Dragon-Age). Men usually are dressed in white long-sleeved shirts with high stringed-open collars, dark thick and heavy boots, puffy dark-coloured trousers, leather jerkins, warmed by furred puffy-sleeve leather jackets or elbow-length ponchos. Women usually are dressed in body-fitting long-sleeved puffy shirts with open shoulders, leather-jerkin bodices over the ribs and sides, leather heeled-shoes or boots, dark knee-length or ankle-length skirts, or tight thick-dark trousers. Warmed by a colourful elbow-length poncho, and ear-guarded hats.DWARF
Dwarves are the second predominant demographic in the Republic, numbering about 9-11% of the population. Hill dwarves are usually the larger group in the wider populace of Canterune, whereas the Mountain Dwarves harbour more in the regions closer to the Perimidine Mountain range. Most still hold ties to the Alloyar Shaperate, but those who have become clanless or have bonded as Merchants of the Iron Band have gained citizenship away from this place - working to bridge the gap between the two nations, and harvest their stature for literature and food. The dwarven dress tends to be multi-layered, fully padded and leather dressings. Male dwarves are usually dressed in warm and darker layers, thick cotton white shirts with long puffy sleeves, body-fitting and stout kerchiefs and jackets, and furred woolly jumpers in special-dwarf style patterns in light creams or browns, then topped with long leather jackets or fur-spouting jackets. Their caps are usually depicted more as helms or winter caps. Female dwarves are usually dressed in similar warm layers, but with thick white cotton shirts with body-fitting forms, open shoulders and double-frilled sleeves, leather or wool petty-coat bodices with open sleeves, and double-layered skirts (one with warm cotton, and an ancestral leather skirt depicting ancestral patterns). Adorning their heads with scarfed headdresses.ELVEN & HALF-ELVEN
Elves and half-elves are the third predominant demographic in the Republic, with the numbering to about 8-10% of the population. Moon elves usually outnumber their other demographic groups, with High Elves and their bloodlines filling only 1% of the population in total. They are commonly made up of once fallen houses and those who once lived in the lands of the Republic, in their Alflands, and have sought to found their own power away from the Arkspire's dominion, fleeing away from its indentured servitude and arrogant prominence. They are fallen houses of mages and warriors, and often take up the practice of the Bladesong, in newer more untraditional means. Most of the regions within the Republic are inspired by the age-old ruins of old elven settlements and culture from the ancient period before the Divergence and the coming of the Divine Gate. These regions fell largely to their disconnect with the Elven Arkspires, left to devolve into barbarism and famine, and the loss of their powerful magics - the elves adapted by working side by side with the humans that expanded beyond their territories in the region of Martzhein. The elven or half-elven dress is a more cultural blend, with Medieval and Oriental influence. Male elves and half-elves are usually dressed in colourful seasoned woollen vestments, colourful tabards and an overcoat with body-fitting long sleeves up to the wrists with fluffy kerchiefs in the collars and sleeve ends, but tight and warm robe-like jackets of flourishing designs and fur additional on the shoulders and ends of their jackets, with padded string-tightened thick-leather trousers and warm boots. Female elves and half-elves are usually dressed in Medieval style and more elegant dress. They wear warm dresses with bodice-supporting shirts, skirts that reach the knee, wrapping their legs with warm leather string-tied trousers, but with long overflowing sleeves of different colour and design, depending on the season, hooded leather ponchos and scarves, sometimes replaced with fashionable neck-collars.HALFLINGS, KOBOLDS, GNOMES & CHANGELINGS
Halflings form around 6% of the population, as the largest minority group - that largely resides in its majority as part of the rural class and Commons. They live quite a traditional peasants lifestyle and contribute largely to the class of farmers and peasantry. Changelings formulate the second-largest minority group of 3% of the population, but many do not recognise this as they blend in well enough to the local groups and species, coming largely from the Ambambra Swamplands and from the eastern rural territories and marches of Canterune - they are largely a more second-class criminal group and are discriminated against by their birthright as potential 'witch-spawn', but have found their uses amongst the mages under Republic supervision. Kobolds and Gnomes formulate a minority of 2% but are largely located in the more civilised and urban regions of the land as specialists, artificers & scholars - though they largely compete in research and academic circles.MAGES
Most of the population, accounting for 52% of the total population find themselves becoming part of the society and culture here. Predominantly magical. The mages of Canterune are really fond of their robes. Apart from student mages, which are optional, but each rank observes specific rules on cut and patterns.- Children at the age of 5 and below, are allowed to wear their own natural clothing but are identified by a neck-scarf and hood. They have no rank but are adepts in which show their talent for magic and can go through many magisters, starting with their parents. Then they are chosen by a magister and stay with them until they are adepts or if they chose their own.
- Children at the age of 6-8, will be notified to wear a chest-length cloak that covers the front and back of the body, like a Mexican cowboy. Like a poncho. Here, children begin to learn magic, tutored by their own parents or a chosen magister, staying with them until they become primary mages at 9.
- Children at the age of 9-11, when apprentices become Primary Mages at 9 years old. Equivalent of elementary school, but ending earlier. They wear their earliest blazer robes that go to thigh length, with half-sleeves that puff up at the elbow.
- At 12, a primary mage becomes a Scholar Mage, in which someone refers to them as a "mage". Scholar mages are still supervised by their Magister (teacher). So between 12-14, they are given patterned hens of their schools on their shoulders, wearing full knee-length robes with hoods (much like Hogwarts) and a chest badge. Long sleeves and gloves.
- At 14, scholar mages become Prefect Mages at 14 and are the second half of the "mage" title. As a prefect mage, they start working more on their own, with guidance from their magister. They wear similar knee-long robes to a scholar mage but are accented by the edges of their sleeves and the edges of their hood, with added patterns of affinity to magic and a personalised knitted magic-sigil on their backs between the shoulder blades.
- At 15-16, it is identified as someone who has finished their studies in magic. Known as Graduate Mages. Usually at 15 or 16, but can be earlier for those who show their magic early, and thus need early training. They often take a break from schooling, and it is encouraged that mages explore their passions and interests, even career options. Here, they begin to wear a full-length robe to their ankles, with a specialised notation over their fashion, particularly coloured in their own preferred colour, but their patterns accentuate their particular expertise in magic.
- At 18 years old, when mages become consenting and legal adults, they become magicians that have learned from others and are completed with their studies. They are known as Adepts. They are elite in their own way and seek training mostly by themselves or in a group of friends. They supervise younger magicians and are directed by older magicians. Their style is usually the same as what they were as graduates, staying as adepts, but their form and fashion are still more individualistic, and their back sigil is more patterned to fit across the shoulders, the chest badge, and across the length of their robes. No longer holding hoods, but more academic style hats.
- At 18 years old and older, these are the mages that have achieved so well in their studies, that they can begin to teach magic. Normally, they are Adepts, but sometimes they are at a mage rank in which to teach apprentice magicians. These are often referred to as Magisters. Here, their fashion changes into graduation robes, with a roba worn under a cappa clausa, bell-shaped sleeves, dyed in particular colours. with white shirts, more relaxed and comfortable gowns,
- From here, the hierarchy begins in mage society and differentiate in the speciality. First Mages, act as potential spec-ops style mages. In this state, it is on a more rare level based on merit and capability. They wear less flowing robes, tighter and well-trimmed for quick movement, with sting-tightened hoods, and a balaclava, and form-fitting robes that fall to just below the knee.
- Another branch, are the Wisemen or Wisewomen, who are older magicians that act as advisors to the Archsage and Magisters. They always have a lot of experience and are always older. These mages have a more vestal hood and long-flowing sleeved robes, down to the ankles, heavier and softer cloth material, distinct by their own profession, single collar hood and double sleeves.
- The highest branch belongs to the Archsages, who are the leaders of an area, and in many places can govern all people. It is the traditional chief ranking of the traditional magical leader of an area, a professor, a university principal, a political leader or a community leader. These robes are more heavily individualistic and own taste, with leaf-pointed hoods, decorative shoulder guards, closed by an amulet, double-sleeved robes that reach down to the ankles.
- Each mage is defined by ranks, of dyed-horsehair tassels, usually worn on the clothes or in the hair. Each holding gems may symbolise their particular magic type. Red indicates a primary mage. Light blue identifies a scholar mage. Dark blue identifies a Prefect Mage. Silver identifies the Graduate Mage. Purple identifies an adept mage. Green identifies a Magister. Clear coloured tassels identify the First Mage. Gold identifies a Wisemen or Wisewomen. Lastly, black identifies the highest rank, the Archsage.
HISTORY
PERILS
- The stigma attached to mages have made them potential targets to foreign nations (Martzhein - Dione'Leona - Gnomes of Knuckledust).
- Testing experimental magic can affect and devastate the fragile Weave.
- The potential poisoning of their land from constant acid storms and winters, as the air is poisoned from the smoking plumes of the Blackrock Range.
- Bordering the northern sea, is the potential for Goliath sea-raids and undead that defrost from the arctic icebergs that come from the region of the northern lost-lands. Winters also bring the potential approach of wild white-dragon spawn.
- On its eastern border comes the potential of infiltration by witches, changelings and shapeshifters.
- Being assaulted from migrations of sky-rocs and avian monsters, attacking their horse breeds in the open plains.
- The overflow of sewage and the prominent spread of disease should they become overwhelmed - inhibited by naturally occurring oozes, sewer monsters and beasts.
- Wolves often creep into the lands but stay in the far north regions - only coming during the winter periods when they lack their food.
- Fear of summoners of beings that they are unable to control and reap havoc.
- They wish to keep a concordant peace between nations and kingdoms - and achieve this through diplomacy and trade agreements, giving goods that aren't available to them - education, knowledge and means; acting as advisors, lawyers and neutral third parties for decisions, even a small banking system. Being on the outskirts of civilisation they run the risk of becoming redundant or 'land-locked', and wish to keep close access to the Chain Lakes so that they have sea access to the south, to the Ventura Sea.
- They have controlled means and guild-policies that defer them from using magics against foreign powers and to the detriment to their republic - using it to serve the public; though this has congested and stymied individual pursuits of research, and rather, put towards investor-interests... rather than the free pursuits of knowledge. That way, it may keep benign interests away from corrupt or selfish desires - maintained by universities and colleges of mages, even private tutelage.
- As a potential means of combating the continued 'acidic burn' that runs the risk of creating a desert in their lands - they have tapped towards potential curative measures, alchemically-advised engineering, but also the experimental uses of channelling life force through state-observed necromancy - not in the sense of channelling the magics of death, but the supervised and cautionary practice of channelling the energies of life. Hoping to extract impurities and 'poisoned' waters. Even aided by druids concerned with the health of the land.
- Their northern borders are usually protected by a series of winter castles that take guard along the coastline - reserved for criminals on the path of redemption, or churches of faith that assume this noble duty. Protecting against potential swathes of wandering undead and monstrosities that come from the forsaken north. Going northward always is believed to be a bad omen.
- The eastern border is usually left as a borderland without much law under the republic, though missionaries take their charge there and hope to protect these lands through wards over the region. It is difficult to assuade them of this fear, as changelings can take many forms - and children are usually taken across the lakes to be raised in the presence of the cities as best they can - "Token Youths". Or the "Lakehopper" children.
- The horse-wranglers that operate in the planes are usually trained to carry dirge-staffs, a strange instrument that scare off the wild birds with a strange noise - bringing fear into the beasts. A much more wilder practice is the use of fireworks and flares set to blind these creatures, not wishing to harm them too greatly and earn their ire - though many have begun a time-honoured practice of horseman archery to combat against these wild and flying beasts... only the most successful can survive a strike from these creatures on the hunt from the air.
- With the potential abundance of sewage and diseased waters - at one time, they simply dumped them into underground water passages that receded below the earth into the Underdark; but other means have been used to preserve this and use it as a potential fertiliser - dumping them in low-lying drained reservoirs that they churn into fertiliser, an honoured but much laughable chore of the public - calling them the Foul Trenches. But this is where they get there most profitable fertiliser to spread across the kingdoms. They monitor this through the use of potentially and painstakingly domesticated oozes, though lacking clear intelligence, these ooze-farmers procure them to digest non-degradable waste materials, recycle them before they get too big and dangerous. Oozes have been used as another form of remedy - getting rid of dead skin tissue on the body in small baths, in much more diluted forms.
- Hunters keep watch of the northern borders, particularly in winter, but at a difficult test and risk of themselves against these wolves - setting traps and watching game trails through the winter, in preparation for them coming.
- Bringing forth technological marvels and feats of architecture to improve their lands productivity (aqueducts and water systems, sewers and water-purifying stations)
- Preserving their pure water.
- Ensuring peace and order, and the prosperity that united communities bring and mutual respect of one another. Giving fairness and rights to other folk. Suppressing rage and celebrating youth, ingenuity and progress.
- Education, reading and literacy is a proud past-time of this region - educating themselves on laws, stories of the past, musical arts, humanities and the sciences.
- Having the best bath-houses and cleanliness of any other state - with better skin care, body art and water-dances that any other kingdom. Even attested to their polished stone walls, clean houses and lack of litter - though at times it can become hazardous should oozes begin to run amuck in their realm. Not to mention the best polished metal, stones and wood in the kingdom due to their research in alchemy and magic.
- Alchemy is a time-honoured profession in this region - helping stop impurities occurring in their realm.
- Proficient medical study and practice - by necromancers nonetheless; studying in poverty stricken states, diseases, musculature structure, blood systems of the body, maladies to the brain and sanatoriums.
- Domesticated and differing breeds of oozes - both for war-time, health care, aesthetics, architecture, waste-disposal, public hygiene, and alchemy.
- Printing press: a technological marvel that improves the rapid pace of magical scroll production, written content, letter writing and widespread literacy among the community in reading and the written word.
- Canterune defensive magics - specialising in multiple wards and protections, both for utility and for wider applications in society and professional interests. Keeping private guilds secrecy, productive value and otherwise.
- Northern sea-salt, whales, shells, conch, pearls, and large fishing schools from the Northern Sea.
- Magically-decorative clothing, artwork and architecture.
- Tidal and hydro-power?
- Aqueduct, reservoir, canals, irrigation, water-gates, floodgates, storm walls, drainage systems, qanats, wells, aquifers, cisterns (waterproof receptacle for holding liquids)
- To spread further egalitarian means and rights to people that may prove themselves worthy and contribute to their republic (docile and neutral)
- To remain outside of the politics of the differing countries of Lorthal, and be a 'middle-man' in trade and commerce. Perhaps even staying out of the 'shadow war' waged between the three races - Human, Elf and Dwarf.
- They wish to alleviate the land from its seasonal poisoning from the sulphurous acidic rain and snow that come each winter from the east, connecting from the volcanic mountain range of the Burning Arm of Lorthal.
- They wish to prevent any bloodshed between the nations - acting more pacifistic in nature.
- Advances into alchemical research to end the seasonal poisoning and advance their society - in medicine, agriculture, public health, and trade.
- To maintain and grow its independence and influence in world trade.
