The Lacquer Coast

Bright red leaves cover the widespread lacquer trees on the foothills that rise behind the walls of Satyo, surrounding their fruit with a halo of colorful protection. Down, past the walls and into Satyo proper, a summertime festival is in full bloom. The wealth of the walled city is evident- no one is sitting downtrodden as mages shoot fireworks into the air with artistic flourishes. Boats chart the canals that run through the city, powered by small imported magical engines, passing from brightly lit streets into darker- and more suspicious- tunnels where the city's underbelly hides from the lacquer factories above, instead passing around secretive contracts and fake mercantile identification papers. Satyo is a typical city of the Lacquered Coast- beautiful, walled, wealthy, and merciless, with a gorgeous view of the ocean that occludes the underbelly of the city-state's trade from sight.

Structure

The Lacquer Coast, in eastern Aborea, is home to a confederation of loosely united city states, most along the coast itself with some just inland. Each individual City State is run by a council of merchants, each council member representing a particular guild of laborers.

Assets

As the name implies, the Lacquer Coast is famous for the fine lacquer varnish produced by trees native to the region. However, the various city states are all safe havens for various artisans and laborers, making them all quite wealthy in terms of luxury exports. Although no one city state is a military power, the loose Confederation of the coast unites the various militaries such that the Lacquered States have a formidable military presence when united- keeping erstwhile invaders from them. To the north, the Coast is bounded by the small but still imposing Sunset Mountains, keeping them relatively safe from land threats.
Although famous for their lacquer varnish and decorative objects, there are many other luxury assets found across the Lacquered Coast- wine, barley, fruits, bamboo, and other crops do well in the Mediterranean climates found along the coast, fed by warm equatorial waters and a mountain range keeping cold northerly winds from chilling the Coast during the winter.

Demography and Population

Bounded on the north by the Sunset Mountains and bounded on the east by the dangerous Barrowlands, the city-states of the Lacquer Coast are safe havens for sailors and travelers in the relatively dangerous areas. In addition, the loose political union of the city-states makes for a safe haven for criminals and other unsavories fleeing laws and bounties in the more organized nations to the east in Arborea. Due to these reasons, as well as the free mercantile trade with the region and the comfortable climate, the Lacquer Coast is home to a variety of peoples. Races of all kinds can be found here, even those rare elsewhere on Arborea like Kitsune, Catfolk, and Vishkanya. In addition, many species persecuted for being 'monstrous' can find solace either in the peaceful city-states or their underbellies, leading to high populations of hags, vampires, and other socialite 'monsters'.
Although present, poverty is generally not very common in the cities of the Lacquer Coast. Because of the consistent mercantile trade going on between city states, few go hungry or homeless- and those that do can usually find employment in black market trade by-the-by. In fact, one of the largest guilds across the Lacquered Coast is the Mendicant's Guild, which generally seeks to provide the homeless or castaway employment in the Coast. The majority of workers in the city-states of the Lacquered Coast themselves are merchants and artisans, although farmers and laborers often live in the outskirts of the city-proper, manning farms and plantations and producing much of the luxury that the region is known for.

Geography

The Lacquer Coast's elevation ranges from sea level coastal cities up a quick grade change to the mountain ranges of the Sunset Mountains. The rockier and higher elevations are drier and often experience true winters, whereas the lower elevations of the Lacquer Coast are home to farms, vineyards, orchards, and the like.

Type

Political, Confederation

Alternative Names

The Confederation of the Lacquer Coast, The Lacquered States, The Confederation of Eastern Aborea

Demonym

There's no official demonym to attribute someone to the Lacquer Coast, and they often use the names of the city-states that belong to the Confederation.

Subsidiary Organizations

• Dreamers Aspirant

Location

Aborea