The Heartlands
The Soil of Loyalty, The Forge of Honor
Sprawling beneath wide blue skies, the Heartlands of the Federated Suns stretch from horizon to horizon, a tapestry of golden fields, slow rivers, and proud, enduring people. Here, the land itself seems to hum with quiet industry: endless prairies ripple with wheat and barley, while great vineyards and orchards line the gentle valleys. Rivers, deep and slow, carve their way across the countryside, feeding rich farmland and bustling townships.
Villages of timber and stone cluster along crossroads and riverbends, their streets alive with markets and festivals that mark the turning of the seasons. Blacksmiths shape iron at roaring forges, cobblers stitch boots sturdy enough for a year’s harvest, and vintners turn the year's bounty into prized bottles destined for noble tables. Life in the Heartlands is grounded in hard work and the steady rhythm of the land. Magic is rare—kept mostly to the high halls of noble courts, the libraries of scholars, and the occasional relic passed down from the days of the League of Stars. Among the common folk, it is skill, patience, and tradition that carry the day.
The Heartlands are fiercely loyal to House Davion, and that loyalty is stitched into the very fabric of daily life. Banners bearing the golden sunburst fly from town halls and manor houses alike. In every village green and city square, militias drill with pikes and shields, watched over by grizzled veterans who still bear the scars of past wars. Tales of the First Princes are taught beside lessons in letters and numbers, and the ideals of unity, honor, and perseverance are honored as sacred truths. Nobles, for all their wealth and influence, are expected to serve as stewards and guardians, not distant rulers.
Though peace reigns across most of the Heartlands, there is a wary tension beneath the surface. The memory of the Elemental Wars is still fresh in the minds of many, and new recruits drill with earnest fervor. Fortresses old and new crown the hills near strategic crossings, their banners snapping in the wind as silent warnings. House Davion, ever vigilant, quietly strengthens its border keeps and patrols, knowing that in the Sphere, no peace endures forever.
The Heartlands are not merely the breadbasket of the Federated Suns. They are its soul—a realm forged in toil, tempered by loyalty, and forever ready to defend the light they believe must not go out.
“Here, every stone laid, every furrow plowed, every sword drawn— they all bear the mark of our loyalty.” — First Prince Hanse Davion
