Faeden Metanarrative
Overview
Faeden is an isolated, natural city with little to no technology but high magic. Faeden is modeled after London and can be considered as an alternate reality London where the city itself is melded and lives in harmony with nature and the natural world, rather than replacing and exploiting it. Three groups of species dominate this city: Human, Faerie, and Dryad. All three groups reside under one central government and generally get along well. The government is headed by the Dryads, a kind and magical people. The government has a lenient and relatively small law enforcement/crime punishment system, as the government mainly exists to provide assistance to the people that reside in Faeden, rather than punish them. Magic is an important part of the world, and those with a high affinity for magic, which are the Dryads, are powerful enough to be placed at the top of the social hierarchy. Faeries are in the middle, and Humans are at the bottom. Defensive and utility magic are used to help everyday life while combat magic is largely restricted by law. The natural world also plays a crucial role. It provides the city with all of its resources, and the citizens of Faeden make sure to respect and take care of nature in return. Military presence is also a decent part of daily society, as military is needed to protect the borders of Faeden from an external threat. Arts and culture are largely ignored in this society as people generally admire what is naturally created in the world, rather than what is created by artists. Technology has very little influence because it could potentially harm nature and magic is mostly used instead. Governance
Government Structure
Faeden is a city-state under Royal rule in a Unitary government. The city-state is governed by Daphnaeae, the Dryad Queen and a small Dryad council who are more altruistic and concerned with helping the citizens through social services and opportunity than ruling the city and exerting government power to keep the citizens in line. Their headquarters is located in The Great Tree tree in Faeden’s city center. The council is made of 5 officials: the foreign and military guard, the commissioner of Faerie affairs, the Economic Strategist, the Judge of Law, and the executive role, which is taken up by the Dryad Queen. The Foreign and Military Guard is responsible for keeping track of the conditions and operations of the military units that are deployed on the borders of Faeden. Faeden is an isolated state, so the military continues to completely block the borders of the city, keeping anyone and anything from entering or leaving. Their main goal is to keep the public, nature, and natural resources safe and in stable order while still retaining public freedom and worryless living. The Commissioner of Faeries Affairs oversees the social services economy and pays close attention to the status of the race relations currently in the city-state. The commissioner implements social services that keeps the people of Faeden together, intermingled, and trusting of each other. The Economic Strategist works in tandem with the commissioner of Faeries Affairs to determine if an adjustment of resources to grant to all citizens is necessary on a regular basis. The economic strategist heads the dept of economy, which handles the approval/denial of special resource requests from citizens. Government Involvement
The involvement of Faeden’s government with its people is fairly low, and often its people aren’t encountered by it much during a given week. Aside from receiving their economy and wealth, the citizens of Faeden often seldom interact with its government unless issues or conflicts arise, such as potential law breaking that would require policing and involvement of the judge, or appeals for additional resources and mishaps in wealth distribution that would require the aid of the Strategist. The Judge of Law
The Judge of Law, Myrica, is in charge of overseeing all court trials, verdicts, and crime sentences distributed throughout Faeden’s local communities. All successful jail releases eventually come to the judge of law's court team who make a final decision on whether or not an inmate is ready to be released at the Faeden Courthouse . Lastly they work closely with the Dryad Queen to enforce important rules and laws. The Dryad Queen
The Dryad Queen has the final say in all matters and has the right to appeal any decision. However, the Queen also must have trust in the other members of the council. Dryad Queen candidates are raised and trained from birth until they are mature, at which point the current Queen chooses her successor. Should she step down or die, her successor will become the new Queen. The Queen appoints the other 4 council positions. Together they make decisions regarding the fate of Faeden and its people. For example, the council is in charge of making executive decisions over laws, administering social services and federal aid, court hearings, internal trade, border control, and wealth circulation. Social Services
The government implements several social services to help keep the population healthy, well off, and well educated, so as to not run the risk of having citizens with little to no stable support in society. Some of these services that citizens can utilize include, but are not limited to: Soup kitchens, Medical alchemy services, Welfare, FHCA (a YMCA-like organization but for Faerie people), Job agencies, Free education, Nurseries and Childcare facilities, Self defense and Magic defense training at The Fae Preparatory, and Nursing home facilities. The large amount of social services offered to its people allows Faeden to maintain a united community whilst still being a generous and educated population. By ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of its citizens through these, the people of Faeden are never short on jobs and professions they can pick up through these programs to further aid each other and give back. Rule of Law
Though ruling over its people is not the primary concern, it still is often necessary in Faeden as individuals can be highly unpredictable or not follow the rules of society. Because of this, there is some amount of law enforcement within society. These laws, however, are not heavily enforced and punishment is minimal for lesser crimes. For example, stealing will only result in an individual required to do community service to make up for the stolen goods. There also aren't that many acts that are considered crimes or punishable, instead rather those that leave a bad reputation. Another common punishment is the reduction of social status/wealth. Since wealth is not in the form of currency, citizens who commit crimes may find themselves being denied their special resource requests by the Economic Strategist at a higher rate for some time after their crime. The heaviest crimes in Faeden society are murder, destruction of nature, misuse of magic, and pyromania. These extreme crimes are one of the few times imprisonment actually occurs. The Jail of Faeden is rather small for a city of its population, and sentencing in it is never severe. Generally, there are no strict sentence durations, and inmates are only forced to stay until they have proven their capability to live differently from then on, and not perform such a heinous act again. Economics
The economy of Faeden is based around the production and consumption of natural resources. These natural resources form the basis for both survival of society and nature, as they live in harmony, as well as a currency in a way, for people are rewarded with them for their hard work and dedication toward keeping the balance. Faeden has had a stable population for most of recent history, which has only supported its high economy. The population is large enough to have enough labor to produce such wealth, while also not being so high that it becomes overcrowded and stagnant. Food is harvested in quantities enough to feed its population and never more, so that nature isn’t overexerted and can be cherished to its fullest. Production of Wealth
Faeden is a large and lush province. Plants can survive just about anywhere you drop a seed, and the people of Faeden plant things in every possible place they can manage. Since nature is interwoven with society, living space for humans stone housing and towers, faeries tree homes, and farmland can also be intertwined, meaning that plantlife - the source of wealth - can be grown in almost the entirety of the province. In a sense, money is grown on trees. Expenditure of Wealth
Why is all of this plant life being raised? To the people of Faeden, plant life serves two purposes. The people of Faeden cultivate some plantlife to consume but only as much as absolutely necessary to survive, since unnecessary destruction of nature goes against the morals of Faeden society. The second purpose is for personal wealth and status. The more effort you put into raising the natural world, the more access you may have to social benefits. These social benefits can be “redeemed” at the Resource Barracks for social and government favors above what you may normally be deemed necessary. Distribution of Wealth
The government of Faeden is in charge of allocating resources to its citizens, often on a case by case level. Instead of making purchases, citizens can expect a certain amount of food and personal resources by default, then can file requests for specific needs/wants beyond that. In addition, citizens with higher wealth/social status - those who have put in more effort to help the natural world - will enjoy higher approval odds for requests, as well as the ability to make larger and more frequent requests. Requests can be submitted by multiple people or even groups, granting equal ownership of anything received and potentially boosting the odds of approval. At its most basic level, the wealth isn’t distributed evenly across each of the races, with the dryad individuals getting slightly more resources than fairy individuals, who get slightly more than humans, though it by no means makes the humans poor or hungry. Trade
Due to its isolation, the city-state of Faeden has very little trade with the outside world, and prefers to keep its resources to itself to further its growth and development. Rather than harvest more than necessary and potentially harm nature, Faeden keeps only what is needed, leaving little to grant for trade toward the outside world. This lack of trade, however, has left the city-state oblivious to the matters and dealings of its neighbors, though keeps it more in tune with nature, as its denizens aspire for it to be. Without trade, agriculture becomes a much more critical component to the lives of those in Faeden, and each of the three races excel in differing methods to grow food and resources. The dryads utilize their adeptness at magic to grow necessary resources, the faeries are expert gatherers, and the humans cultivate the majority of the society’s land. Internally, the resources the people of Faeden recieve can differ between each other based on their actions and how much they receive due to aiding the natural world. Due to this, it’s highly beneficial for the races to be trading resources between each other in market areas such as The Grand Bazaar where goods can be traded for other goods. Through these means, it allows people to acquire whatever they may need through the community instead of having to directly appeal to the government, though that’s not to say cases don’t arise. Because the economy and wealth of Faeden is nearly entirely dependent on plantlife, natural disasters can be a real detriment to society. For example, fires can devastate not only life in Faeden but also the economic structure making them twice as damaging as in our world. Imagine if a tornado not only destroyed your house, and garage but also your bank account at the same time. Luckily disasters are rare, partially thanks to the people’s dedication to preventing their occurrence in the first place, as well as the laws preventing misuse of magic that could result in such disasters. Social Relations
The population of Faeden is made up of 3 species, Dryads, Faeries, and Humans all of whom live under one government in the diverse natural urban city state. Faeries makes up the majority of the population, followed by the Humans, then lastly the Dryads, who only make up a small percentage. Class Relations
Dryads are powerful hybrid human tree beings who are very adept with magic, can communicate with nature at an advanced level, and live closer to the center of the city surrounding the sacred tree. They have a lifespan of up to 1000 years because they are part tree. Their hard skin made of thick armor-like bark and vines help protect them from danger and make them stronger than an average human. They also gain energy through the process of photosynthesis, so they are more powerful during the day. Their magic ranges from plant and harvest growth, expertise in botany knowledge, to terraforming and earth manipulation. The use of this magic greatly benefits the survival and habitability of Dryads in Faeden, which also puts them on top of the social ladder. Due to their adeptness in magic and high class rank, Dryads are often exclusively found in government positions, with occasional individuals taking paths into social service or military professions. Faeries are small sprite creatures, approximately 1-2 feet tall, who have the ability of flight with their wings. If needed, the faeries can also grow to the average height of an adult human through the use of magic. Faeries have a basic to intermediate grasp of their magic skills but again are very small creatures who do not have a lot of physical strength. They use common magic to help make their everyday lives easier. Their small frames give them better agility and their great flying skills allow them to flee quickly from any danger. The faeries mainly build their homes in tall trees, Faerie Dwellings, where they also harvest fruit and nuts for food and energy. Their small size and incredible speeds make them skilled scouts along the military border, as well as excellent resource gatherers. Lastly, the Human species arrived in Faeden roughly 200 years prior to the present as pilgrims looking for a more natural way of living. Humans are the weakest of the group with little to no ability of magic use and have an average lifespan of 85 years. They struggle the most adapting to the natural world because they must rely on physical strength for activities such as: climbing, farming, harvesting, and everyday labour. This also puts them at the end of the social ladder. They often rely on government social services to try to maintain a decent standard of living. Until recently, most humans focused heavily on education and training classes, desperately trying to keep up with their magical counterparts. Previously, technology has had little effect on daily lives, as its presence was minimal in society, though its reintroduction has sparked a vigor in humans to find alternate paths to success, not remembering the reasons for their arrival and ignoring the consequences it has. Race Relations
Race relations between the three species are relatively high. Dryads and Faeries are accepting creatures, and they try their best to keep peace between all creatures of nature for the sake of the land. Because of this, they live peacefully amongst each other despite the moderate class hierarchy. The Dryads have the upper hand and are regarded higher than the Faeries or humans because they can operate more efficiently with nature. Faeries stay in the middle while humans are at the bottom of the class pyramid due to their limited interactions with magic and nature, which has fueled a desire in a small amount of the human population to find a way to match the power of their racial counterparts. With the recent introduction of technology to the city of Faeden, it’s presence has begun to create a divide between the races and their desires. Humans, looking to benefit from technology that can aid them in farming and construction, have begun to utilize it against the wishes of the dryads. The dryads realize the danger it could have on their fair city, but also wish to avoid utilizing government power, as it could make the humans feel oppressed. Faeries sit in the middle of this tension, with some of its population adoring the new addition and others questioning its purpose. Cultural Influences
Due to the variety of people living in Faeden, it has accrued a massively diverse culture that has significantly impacted its government, economy, and citizens. The undertaking of uniting three different races under one banner was a difficult one, but out from it came a city like no other, proud of its nature. Natural World
Possibly the most immediately noticeable element of the city is its attunement with nature and the planet. All throughout the city, buildings and structures are intertwined with trees and roots, flowers and plants of all kinds. The world itself is cherished for being the land on which the city is built and is repaid with kind and generous treatment towards it. The natural world and the city have a symbiotic relationship. The land provides an abundance of resources, and in return, citizens who have high affinity for magic, which is mostly Dryads, nourish it and make sure not to take too much. Perhaps the most important structure of the city, the government building, is built in and around a massive tree at the center of the city. It serves to be an icon toward the unification of society and nature, as well as the unity of all those living and setting down roots underneath it. Religious Influence
Faith is not a significant matter in the society of Faeden, as a majority of the citizens let the land and nature be their guide. Some individuals find hope through praying toward nature itself, though no significant communities or groups have formed to worship a deity of the sort. The general reverence for nature could be seen as some kind of religion, but there is no established church or other religious institution. For those that do find solitude in a divine being of nature, they pray for good harvests and soil, safety from the industrializing world outside of the city, and that the cycle of nature is never to be interrupted by their actions. Arts and Culture Influence
The culture of the people of Faeden is thanks to none other than the unification of their diverse backgrounds. With three different races and three different lifestyles, the culture of the city is a mashup of different stories and tales that are sure to brighten ones day. The arts of the city are limited, for many find beauty all around them in nature and the natural elements of the society, thus reducing the need for artistic expression through crafts, especially considering few would want to risk harming the environment to create such things. A lack of trade outside of the isolated environment also means nothing new and exciting gets into the city, ultimately resulting in a stale creative environment. Magic
Harnessing the power of nature and the natural world, the people of Faeden have used it to their utmost advantage to create a harmonious city and a delicate balance. Magic largely stems from invisible lines of energy that run throughout the whole world. People with the affinity for it can access this energy and use it to affect things around them. Locations where these lines intersect have vastly increased levels of energy. The sacred tree at the center of Faeden grows on such a location. Harnessing the powers of different elements, such as the blowing winds, raging waters, hardy earth and blazing flames, magic has been used to build structures interwoven with the land, create sources of water, and even shape the land itself to aid in the cities defense. Those that have power use it, and those that don’t strive to achieve it. The society itself runs on magic, placing the dryads at the top for their high skill and control of it, followed by faeries, who have an ease of its use but lack in significant talent, and then humans, who rarely can develop such skills. With such a significant presence in daily life, magic schooling is offered to people of all levels, even humans who struggle with the skill. It finds its way into everyday life, whether it be a lantern that never burns out, or a fairy fluttering by at high speeds. For those with no inherent attunement toward it, they find other ways to incorporate it into what technology they have. Tools can be enhanced with arcane enchantments, causing rifles to utilize unlimited ammunition, or agricultural equipment can be made to never dull or break. Those that find themselves with magic power can achieve great things within the city. Skilled casters can generously pass down their knowledge through teaching professions, while others can take up agricultural professions to help improve crop growth, without harming the land or utilizing it more than necessary. For those with a desire to protect, the military is always in need of new casters to help terraform the border and utilize their powers to defend others. While the power magic provides is great, it certainly can come with risk. Those unskilled in it can unintentionally cause harm or danger, while those with a disastrous intent can misuse it for selfish gains or society destruction. That is why it’s one of the few governed qualities, making sure people use it in the right manner and with the right intentions. Military Influence
With the city being a very united society, policing is minimal and enforcement is rarely required. The people know their laws and their duties, and have a distinct desire to perform them. The real presence of the military is located along the borders of the city. Terraformed into hills and mountains, the outer edge is used to ensure nothing is ever of danger to the city, and that nature and its preservation are heavily guarded. While the military does have enchanted weapons, they often don’t use direct combat magic, as doing such is frowned upon. Rather, magic is mostly used for equipment enchantment and defensive purposes. A majority of the military is made up of humans, for they often excel in tests of strength, skill and endurance, all with a hardy resolve. Some faeries also find their way into the military, aiding with what magical power they can, and although not impossible, it is a rare sight to see any dryad join, though if they do, they are often granted high strategic positions and ranks. Occasionally, the military will send out small squads to scout the area and surrounding locations to ensure no threat is present. On recent trips, however, human soldiers have brought back tales of steam powered technology from the outside world, of such magnificence that could aid them in rivaling the magic of the dryads themselves. Word of this reached more and more humans, both in and outside of the military, leaving them to wonder what they can achieve with such power. Technology Influence
Throughout the development of this united society, technology has never been on the forefront. While its presence is undeniably there, with great tools such as rifles and harvesting equipment, it has never been under distinct development until its recent reintroduction from the military. The reintroduction of technology started with the military. Some time before technology began to rise, there were reports of a threat looming close to the city. A group of human soldiers were sent to investigate and determine what kind of defenses would be needed, if any. During this expedition, they discovered a Steam Relic or a strange machine with wheels powered by steam roaming across the land. They followed this machine back to its origin and came upon a fairly distant city with more steam-powered technology. Driven by curiosity and fascination, the soldiers gathered as much information as they could about such technology and later started designing military equipment using a more basic form of it. Soon, more humans learned of this technology and begin creating their own version. Humans as a race have consistently struggled to harness the power of magic and utilize it, leading them to be lower in class than the other races of the city. With the reintroduction of technology and the rise of steam power, humans hope to catch up to their fellow citizens magical skills by utilizing different means. They want their skill and knowledge of these new technologies to be sought after and utilized in the unified society, allowing them to finally feel as true equals to their allies. In response, however, the dryads are only noticing the damage to the environment that the humans are failing to see, but are too afraid of being seen as oppressing them to utilizing government power to stop them. Faeries have leaned toward both sides in the matter, seeing the benefits of technology and its downfalls, and are stuck in the middle of tensions that are clearly on the rise to an inevitable disaster.
Faeden is an isolated, natural city with little to no technology but high magic. Faeden is modeled after London and can be considered as an alternate reality London where the city itself is melded and lives in harmony with nature and the natural world, rather than replacing and exploiting it. Three groups of species dominate this city: Human, Faerie, and Dryad. All three groups reside under one central government and generally get along well. The government is headed by the Dryads, a kind and magical people. The government has a lenient and relatively small law enforcement/crime punishment system, as the government mainly exists to provide assistance to the people that reside in Faeden, rather than punish them. Magic is an important part of the world, and those with a high affinity for magic, which are the Dryads, are powerful enough to be placed at the top of the social hierarchy. Faeries are in the middle, and Humans are at the bottom. Defensive and utility magic are used to help everyday life while combat magic is largely restricted by law. The natural world also plays a crucial role. It provides the city with all of its resources, and the citizens of Faeden make sure to respect and take care of nature in return. Military presence is also a decent part of daily society, as military is needed to protect the borders of Faeden from an external threat. Arts and culture are largely ignored in this society as people generally admire what is naturally created in the world, rather than what is created by artists. Technology has very little influence because it could potentially harm nature and magic is mostly used instead. Governance
Government Structure
Faeden is a city-state under Royal rule in a Unitary government. The city-state is governed by Daphnaeae, the Dryad Queen and a small Dryad council who are more altruistic and concerned with helping the citizens through social services and opportunity than ruling the city and exerting government power to keep the citizens in line. Their headquarters is located in The Great Tree tree in Faeden’s city center. The council is made of 5 officials: the foreign and military guard, the commissioner of Faerie affairs, the Economic Strategist, the Judge of Law, and the executive role, which is taken up by the Dryad Queen. The Foreign and Military Guard is responsible for keeping track of the conditions and operations of the military units that are deployed on the borders of Faeden. Faeden is an isolated state, so the military continues to completely block the borders of the city, keeping anyone and anything from entering or leaving. Their main goal is to keep the public, nature, and natural resources safe and in stable order while still retaining public freedom and worryless living. The Commissioner of Faeries Affairs oversees the social services economy and pays close attention to the status of the race relations currently in the city-state. The commissioner implements social services that keeps the people of Faeden together, intermingled, and trusting of each other. The Economic Strategist works in tandem with the commissioner of Faeries Affairs to determine if an adjustment of resources to grant to all citizens is necessary on a regular basis. The economic strategist heads the dept of economy, which handles the approval/denial of special resource requests from citizens. Government Involvement
The involvement of Faeden’s government with its people is fairly low, and often its people aren’t encountered by it much during a given week. Aside from receiving their economy and wealth, the citizens of Faeden often seldom interact with its government unless issues or conflicts arise, such as potential law breaking that would require policing and involvement of the judge, or appeals for additional resources and mishaps in wealth distribution that would require the aid of the Strategist. The Judge of Law
The Judge of Law, Myrica, is in charge of overseeing all court trials, verdicts, and crime sentences distributed throughout Faeden’s local communities. All successful jail releases eventually come to the judge of law's court team who make a final decision on whether or not an inmate is ready to be released at the Faeden Courthouse . Lastly they work closely with the Dryad Queen to enforce important rules and laws. The Dryad Queen
The Dryad Queen has the final say in all matters and has the right to appeal any decision. However, the Queen also must have trust in the other members of the council. Dryad Queen candidates are raised and trained from birth until they are mature, at which point the current Queen chooses her successor. Should she step down or die, her successor will become the new Queen. The Queen appoints the other 4 council positions. Together they make decisions regarding the fate of Faeden and its people. For example, the council is in charge of making executive decisions over laws, administering social services and federal aid, court hearings, internal trade, border control, and wealth circulation. Social Services
The government implements several social services to help keep the population healthy, well off, and well educated, so as to not run the risk of having citizens with little to no stable support in society. Some of these services that citizens can utilize include, but are not limited to: Soup kitchens, Medical alchemy services, Welfare, FHCA (a YMCA-like organization but for Faerie people), Job agencies, Free education, Nurseries and Childcare facilities, Self defense and Magic defense training at The Fae Preparatory, and Nursing home facilities. The large amount of social services offered to its people allows Faeden to maintain a united community whilst still being a generous and educated population. By ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of its citizens through these, the people of Faeden are never short on jobs and professions they can pick up through these programs to further aid each other and give back. Rule of Law
Though ruling over its people is not the primary concern, it still is often necessary in Faeden as individuals can be highly unpredictable or not follow the rules of society. Because of this, there is some amount of law enforcement within society. These laws, however, are not heavily enforced and punishment is minimal for lesser crimes. For example, stealing will only result in an individual required to do community service to make up for the stolen goods. There also aren't that many acts that are considered crimes or punishable, instead rather those that leave a bad reputation. Another common punishment is the reduction of social status/wealth. Since wealth is not in the form of currency, citizens who commit crimes may find themselves being denied their special resource requests by the Economic Strategist at a higher rate for some time after their crime. The heaviest crimes in Faeden society are murder, destruction of nature, misuse of magic, and pyromania. These extreme crimes are one of the few times imprisonment actually occurs. The Jail of Faeden is rather small for a city of its population, and sentencing in it is never severe. Generally, there are no strict sentence durations, and inmates are only forced to stay until they have proven their capability to live differently from then on, and not perform such a heinous act again. Economics
The economy of Faeden is based around the production and consumption of natural resources. These natural resources form the basis for both survival of society and nature, as they live in harmony, as well as a currency in a way, for people are rewarded with them for their hard work and dedication toward keeping the balance. Faeden has had a stable population for most of recent history, which has only supported its high economy. The population is large enough to have enough labor to produce such wealth, while also not being so high that it becomes overcrowded and stagnant. Food is harvested in quantities enough to feed its population and never more, so that nature isn’t overexerted and can be cherished to its fullest. Production of Wealth
Faeden is a large and lush province. Plants can survive just about anywhere you drop a seed, and the people of Faeden plant things in every possible place they can manage. Since nature is interwoven with society, living space for humans stone housing and towers, faeries tree homes, and farmland can also be intertwined, meaning that plantlife - the source of wealth - can be grown in almost the entirety of the province. In a sense, money is grown on trees. Expenditure of Wealth
Why is all of this plant life being raised? To the people of Faeden, plant life serves two purposes. The people of Faeden cultivate some plantlife to consume but only as much as absolutely necessary to survive, since unnecessary destruction of nature goes against the morals of Faeden society. The second purpose is for personal wealth and status. The more effort you put into raising the natural world, the more access you may have to social benefits. These social benefits can be “redeemed” at the Resource Barracks for social and government favors above what you may normally be deemed necessary. Distribution of Wealth
The government of Faeden is in charge of allocating resources to its citizens, often on a case by case level. Instead of making purchases, citizens can expect a certain amount of food and personal resources by default, then can file requests for specific needs/wants beyond that. In addition, citizens with higher wealth/social status - those who have put in more effort to help the natural world - will enjoy higher approval odds for requests, as well as the ability to make larger and more frequent requests. Requests can be submitted by multiple people or even groups, granting equal ownership of anything received and potentially boosting the odds of approval. At its most basic level, the wealth isn’t distributed evenly across each of the races, with the dryad individuals getting slightly more resources than fairy individuals, who get slightly more than humans, though it by no means makes the humans poor or hungry. Trade
Due to its isolation, the city-state of Faeden has very little trade with the outside world, and prefers to keep its resources to itself to further its growth and development. Rather than harvest more than necessary and potentially harm nature, Faeden keeps only what is needed, leaving little to grant for trade toward the outside world. This lack of trade, however, has left the city-state oblivious to the matters and dealings of its neighbors, though keeps it more in tune with nature, as its denizens aspire for it to be. Without trade, agriculture becomes a much more critical component to the lives of those in Faeden, and each of the three races excel in differing methods to grow food and resources. The dryads utilize their adeptness at magic to grow necessary resources, the faeries are expert gatherers, and the humans cultivate the majority of the society’s land. Internally, the resources the people of Faeden recieve can differ between each other based on their actions and how much they receive due to aiding the natural world. Due to this, it’s highly beneficial for the races to be trading resources between each other in market areas such as The Grand Bazaar where goods can be traded for other goods. Through these means, it allows people to acquire whatever they may need through the community instead of having to directly appeal to the government, though that’s not to say cases don’t arise. Because the economy and wealth of Faeden is nearly entirely dependent on plantlife, natural disasters can be a real detriment to society. For example, fires can devastate not only life in Faeden but also the economic structure making them twice as damaging as in our world. Imagine if a tornado not only destroyed your house, and garage but also your bank account at the same time. Luckily disasters are rare, partially thanks to the people’s dedication to preventing their occurrence in the first place, as well as the laws preventing misuse of magic that could result in such disasters. Social Relations
The population of Faeden is made up of 3 species, Dryads, Faeries, and Humans all of whom live under one government in the diverse natural urban city state. Faeries makes up the majority of the population, followed by the Humans, then lastly the Dryads, who only make up a small percentage. Class Relations
Dryads are powerful hybrid human tree beings who are very adept with magic, can communicate with nature at an advanced level, and live closer to the center of the city surrounding the sacred tree. They have a lifespan of up to 1000 years because they are part tree. Their hard skin made of thick armor-like bark and vines help protect them from danger and make them stronger than an average human. They also gain energy through the process of photosynthesis, so they are more powerful during the day. Their magic ranges from plant and harvest growth, expertise in botany knowledge, to terraforming and earth manipulation. The use of this magic greatly benefits the survival and habitability of Dryads in Faeden, which also puts them on top of the social ladder. Due to their adeptness in magic and high class rank, Dryads are often exclusively found in government positions, with occasional individuals taking paths into social service or military professions. Faeries are small sprite creatures, approximately 1-2 feet tall, who have the ability of flight with their wings. If needed, the faeries can also grow to the average height of an adult human through the use of magic. Faeries have a basic to intermediate grasp of their magic skills but again are very small creatures who do not have a lot of physical strength. They use common magic to help make their everyday lives easier. Their small frames give them better agility and their great flying skills allow them to flee quickly from any danger. The faeries mainly build their homes in tall trees, Faerie Dwellings, where they also harvest fruit and nuts for food and energy. Their small size and incredible speeds make them skilled scouts along the military border, as well as excellent resource gatherers. Lastly, the Human species arrived in Faeden roughly 200 years prior to the present as pilgrims looking for a more natural way of living. Humans are the weakest of the group with little to no ability of magic use and have an average lifespan of 85 years. They struggle the most adapting to the natural world because they must rely on physical strength for activities such as: climbing, farming, harvesting, and everyday labour. This also puts them at the end of the social ladder. They often rely on government social services to try to maintain a decent standard of living. Until recently, most humans focused heavily on education and training classes, desperately trying to keep up with their magical counterparts. Previously, technology has had little effect on daily lives, as its presence was minimal in society, though its reintroduction has sparked a vigor in humans to find alternate paths to success, not remembering the reasons for their arrival and ignoring the consequences it has. Race Relations
Race relations between the three species are relatively high. Dryads and Faeries are accepting creatures, and they try their best to keep peace between all creatures of nature for the sake of the land. Because of this, they live peacefully amongst each other despite the moderate class hierarchy. The Dryads have the upper hand and are regarded higher than the Faeries or humans because they can operate more efficiently with nature. Faeries stay in the middle while humans are at the bottom of the class pyramid due to their limited interactions with magic and nature, which has fueled a desire in a small amount of the human population to find a way to match the power of their racial counterparts. With the recent introduction of technology to the city of Faeden, it’s presence has begun to create a divide between the races and their desires. Humans, looking to benefit from technology that can aid them in farming and construction, have begun to utilize it against the wishes of the dryads. The dryads realize the danger it could have on their fair city, but also wish to avoid utilizing government power, as it could make the humans feel oppressed. Faeries sit in the middle of this tension, with some of its population adoring the new addition and others questioning its purpose. Cultural Influences
Due to the variety of people living in Faeden, it has accrued a massively diverse culture that has significantly impacted its government, economy, and citizens. The undertaking of uniting three different races under one banner was a difficult one, but out from it came a city like no other, proud of its nature. Natural World
Possibly the most immediately noticeable element of the city is its attunement with nature and the planet. All throughout the city, buildings and structures are intertwined with trees and roots, flowers and plants of all kinds. The world itself is cherished for being the land on which the city is built and is repaid with kind and generous treatment towards it. The natural world and the city have a symbiotic relationship. The land provides an abundance of resources, and in return, citizens who have high affinity for magic, which is mostly Dryads, nourish it and make sure not to take too much. Perhaps the most important structure of the city, the government building, is built in and around a massive tree at the center of the city. It serves to be an icon toward the unification of society and nature, as well as the unity of all those living and setting down roots underneath it. Religious Influence
Faith is not a significant matter in the society of Faeden, as a majority of the citizens let the land and nature be their guide. Some individuals find hope through praying toward nature itself, though no significant communities or groups have formed to worship a deity of the sort. The general reverence for nature could be seen as some kind of religion, but there is no established church or other religious institution. For those that do find solitude in a divine being of nature, they pray for good harvests and soil, safety from the industrializing world outside of the city, and that the cycle of nature is never to be interrupted by their actions. Arts and Culture Influence
The culture of the people of Faeden is thanks to none other than the unification of their diverse backgrounds. With three different races and three different lifestyles, the culture of the city is a mashup of different stories and tales that are sure to brighten ones day. The arts of the city are limited, for many find beauty all around them in nature and the natural elements of the society, thus reducing the need for artistic expression through crafts, especially considering few would want to risk harming the environment to create such things. A lack of trade outside of the isolated environment also means nothing new and exciting gets into the city, ultimately resulting in a stale creative environment. Magic
Harnessing the power of nature and the natural world, the people of Faeden have used it to their utmost advantage to create a harmonious city and a delicate balance. Magic largely stems from invisible lines of energy that run throughout the whole world. People with the affinity for it can access this energy and use it to affect things around them. Locations where these lines intersect have vastly increased levels of energy. The sacred tree at the center of Faeden grows on such a location. Harnessing the powers of different elements, such as the blowing winds, raging waters, hardy earth and blazing flames, magic has been used to build structures interwoven with the land, create sources of water, and even shape the land itself to aid in the cities defense. Those that have power use it, and those that don’t strive to achieve it. The society itself runs on magic, placing the dryads at the top for their high skill and control of it, followed by faeries, who have an ease of its use but lack in significant talent, and then humans, who rarely can develop such skills. With such a significant presence in daily life, magic schooling is offered to people of all levels, even humans who struggle with the skill. It finds its way into everyday life, whether it be a lantern that never burns out, or a fairy fluttering by at high speeds. For those with no inherent attunement toward it, they find other ways to incorporate it into what technology they have. Tools can be enhanced with arcane enchantments, causing rifles to utilize unlimited ammunition, or agricultural equipment can be made to never dull or break. Those that find themselves with magic power can achieve great things within the city. Skilled casters can generously pass down their knowledge through teaching professions, while others can take up agricultural professions to help improve crop growth, without harming the land or utilizing it more than necessary. For those with a desire to protect, the military is always in need of new casters to help terraform the border and utilize their powers to defend others. While the power magic provides is great, it certainly can come with risk. Those unskilled in it can unintentionally cause harm or danger, while those with a disastrous intent can misuse it for selfish gains or society destruction. That is why it’s one of the few governed qualities, making sure people use it in the right manner and with the right intentions. Military Influence
With the city being a very united society, policing is minimal and enforcement is rarely required. The people know their laws and their duties, and have a distinct desire to perform them. The real presence of the military is located along the borders of the city. Terraformed into hills and mountains, the outer edge is used to ensure nothing is ever of danger to the city, and that nature and its preservation are heavily guarded. While the military does have enchanted weapons, they often don’t use direct combat magic, as doing such is frowned upon. Rather, magic is mostly used for equipment enchantment and defensive purposes. A majority of the military is made up of humans, for they often excel in tests of strength, skill and endurance, all with a hardy resolve. Some faeries also find their way into the military, aiding with what magical power they can, and although not impossible, it is a rare sight to see any dryad join, though if they do, they are often granted high strategic positions and ranks. Occasionally, the military will send out small squads to scout the area and surrounding locations to ensure no threat is present. On recent trips, however, human soldiers have brought back tales of steam powered technology from the outside world, of such magnificence that could aid them in rivaling the magic of the dryads themselves. Word of this reached more and more humans, both in and outside of the military, leaving them to wonder what they can achieve with such power. Technology Influence
Throughout the development of this united society, technology has never been on the forefront. While its presence is undeniably there, with great tools such as rifles and harvesting equipment, it has never been under distinct development until its recent reintroduction from the military. The reintroduction of technology started with the military. Some time before technology began to rise, there were reports of a threat looming close to the city. A group of human soldiers were sent to investigate and determine what kind of defenses would be needed, if any. During this expedition, they discovered a Steam Relic or a strange machine with wheels powered by steam roaming across the land. They followed this machine back to its origin and came upon a fairly distant city with more steam-powered technology. Driven by curiosity and fascination, the soldiers gathered as much information as they could about such technology and later started designing military equipment using a more basic form of it. Soon, more humans learned of this technology and begin creating their own version. Humans as a race have consistently struggled to harness the power of magic and utilize it, leading them to be lower in class than the other races of the city. With the reintroduction of technology and the rise of steam power, humans hope to catch up to their fellow citizens magical skills by utilizing different means. They want their skill and knowledge of these new technologies to be sought after and utilized in the unified society, allowing them to finally feel as true equals to their allies. In response, however, the dryads are only noticing the damage to the environment that the humans are failing to see, but are too afraid of being seen as oppressing them to utilizing government power to stop them. Faeries have leaned toward both sides in the matter, seeing the benefits of technology and its downfalls, and are stuck in the middle of tensions that are clearly on the rise to an inevitable disaster.
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