Alreia
With settlements hidden from the casual traveller’s eye, the age-old
Alreian society has been able to keep to themselves for most of history. Since the rapid technological, cultural and mystical development that occurred globally the past decades, Alreia has finally opened their borders for trade, travel and politics.
Untouched nature
When you travel across Alreia, traces of people and civilization are minimal and only there if you know where to look. It must be said that since Alreian opened its borders for trade, several proper roads have been made, but in general Alreia appears as untouched nature to the untrained eye. Lush, thick forests, both evergreen and deciduous (which are also sometimes, mystically, ever green) cover most of the land. Broad, rigid, green mountains rise up between the trees, and deep, blue rivers leave these mountains and cut through the land and reach the sea through magnificent fjords.
Settlements are hidden in these forests and mountains and fjords. And when you think they must be small villages for otherwise you would have easily seen them, you are most definitely wrong. Great cities are built into the trees and into the rock and against the cliff face, and are truly something to behold.
Culture as old as time
With their cities and villages hidden well and deep and nature without tracks or roads, it might seem like the citizens of Alreia live in seclusion even from one another, but this is far from true. They are strongly interconnected and often travel from one city to another. While regional differences exist, as living in a tree is vastly different from living high up in the mountains or on the side of a cliff, the basis of the Alreian culture is ancient and strongly ingrained.
The Alreian culture is large based around their religion: Geom Ateria. And thus, many values, traditions and arts have developed from it. Geom Ateria focuses on the individual as part of the whole. Part of the community, part of the living, part of nature. Peaceful preservation of knowledge, history and nature is important to maintain balance, for even the smallest butterfly flapping their wings can cause a tornado several weeks later.
Suspected to be the oldest civilizations still alive, the Alreian culture has likely even survived the Twilight collapse. For this reason, and for many more, people from around the world are enthralled by the Alreian culture. To many it seems like a fairytale, a myth alive, and the rich from outside of Alreia put down much money to obtain a taste of that fairytale by purchasing various Alreian artisan goods, such as Alreian silk.
Mysticism and the Painted Lady
Small mystical acts, things which are often regarded as hedge-witchery in other places of the world, are common among Alreian folk. Small activation spells and potion brewing are practiced by many people for daily use. The larger acts such as enchanting and property-binding are reserved for only a few, and mainly for Aurea’s flutter.
Alreia does not know a political representative for all things mystical, but since mysticism is largely entwined with their religion, the Painted Lady is often viewed as Archmage of Alreia by the mages from around the world. In recent years, the Painted Lady has taken upon her the responsibility to keep in touch with international mages.
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