Boreana

From Here the Water Flows

I don't have much, that may be true. But if I was lucky enough to get shipped to Boreana, where maybe if I work hard, my children will be free. Yes the work is dangerous, but if it wasn't it wouldn't pay near as much.

— Syncerus, slave found working the collection rigs

The Island

The largest landmass in the Wilde Blue. It does not have the fertile soil that Ilysium once possessed, or the minerals that were underneath Sayles' mountains. The plains of grasses tricked early colonists into settling with the hopes that it would be a fertile paradise, but its scarce resources were depleted shortly before the Sorcerous Age.

Geography

The terrain is sloped down towards the bay-like area in the center, where the collection rigs are primarily located. The island is incredibly dry and rocky, and there were initally worries of the island splintering under the construction of larger buildings. It is also one of the most flat islands in the Blue, and though the machines now block most veiws, it used to be possible to see from one end to the other on a clear day.

Flora and Fauna

Boreana is covered mainly in a thick layer of altherba, whose roots form a thick weave that holds the dry soil in place. Families of lepus make their burrows in these roots, as well as feast on the blades of grass themselves. There are still a few setthim trees left, though even the small amount of water they need to survive is taken from the amount that can be sent out to the rest of the colonies, and so more are cut down each year.

Natural Resources

Initially settled as a farming colony, it became clear that it was not suited for this task. The dry soil, while fine for the plains for grass, could not easily support wheat. Before long, the soil became unfit for all crops, in some places the island turned into a crumbling desert. Today, the only natural resource of Boreana is its size, which forms clouds above it that can be harvested for moisture.

The Town

Boreana is the only colony in the Empire that managed to escape slave status. When the resources dried up, as happens to all colonies that are no longer useful, the ports were closed and the only way off was to sell yourself into slavery. However, Boreana, due to its huge size, attracted a lot of rainclouds. Long after the ports were closed, the colony was re-opened to introduce Skyblood Sorcerers to gather the water and ship it to the farming colonies. Boreana remains to this day the backbone of the Imperial food supply, and memory of its time as a slave colony has all but faded.

Demographics

Boreana supports a large number of slaves, who service and work the machinery. It is a dangerous job, and the machinery can be deadly to those who work it. However, anyone who possesses some scrap of skyblood magic is so invaluable that they are often able to purchase their freedom after only a half-dozen years, a remarkably quick amount of time. Because of this, the town has the largest population of freed slaves that still live in the Empire, even if you do not count the descendants of those who were freed when the colony re-opened with the advent of Skyblood.

Government

Boreana is another of the colonies that are too important for a single noble to own fully, and is owned by the Putrace Family, the leading family of House Putrace. Boreana is where that house started, back when it was a part of House Grimwater. Despite their iron grip over many of the rest of the colonies they control, there are still a few powers that have a say in the governance of Boreana. Unlike many places in the Blue, Boreana does not have a council of elders. Instead, it has a council of workers, who function very similarly, but are chosen by the current reeve, or non-noble leader, to represent the non-slave interests of those who work the water collection rigs whenever there is anything to discuss. As such, the council can change from issue to issue, and those that go against the wishes of House Putrace do not return to the council, though they are not otherwise punished. Another player in the town, though it is vehemently denied, is a representative of the Midnight Oathbreakers. It is possible, though unlikely, that the Putrace family is unaware of this representative, or that rumors of their existance are just that: rumors. However, the continued flow of smuggled goods through Boreana suggests otherwise. A member of House Wyrmsange is given a seat in these discussions, though until recently this was an honorary, and always empty, seat. With the recent stress between the two houses, the offer has been more genuinely taken up in recent months. Notably absent from these meetings is Duccia Protacius, the headmistress of the Boreana Academy. Despite the influence she weilds, House Putrace does not acknowledge her status, preferring instead to deny her entry to their council.
The discussions themselves can be any length, and about any subject. The longest lasted almost four days, the shortest a few minutes. In the past, these meetings have been more about discussion and reaching an agreement. Under the direction of Gallicles Putrace, they have become more announcements than anything else, with little room for talk.

Controlling Houses

House Putrace, of course, has the majority of control of power on Boreana. However, House Avisong has demanded they share power, mainly because the water produced is more vital than even the mines of Atlipopan, which is also under Putrace control. Unlike that mining colony, Boreana's Avisong representative is Felicius Quarto, the Emperor's own brother-in-law. Another aspect that Putrace does not control is the judicial system on Boreana, though not for lack of trying. House Wyrmsange has fought tooth and nail to avoid being removed from the courts of even the smallest of colonies, and Boreana is no exception. Though no longer controlled by House Hallowford, the Boreana Academy has a major effect on the colony. In theory, they are a driving force for migration to Boreana from both the Empire and the Free Worlds, but with the high tension between the two powers, there have been incredibly few people that have tried to slip across the border just to take classes in their sorcery. Still, the Boreana Academy draws people and money from all over the Empire, resulting in them having a large amount of control.

History

Boreana's size meant that it was one of the earliest colonized, the first of the Barren Dominion to have a settlement formed upon it. It also meant that, despite the poor quality of the soil and lack of minerals, it was able to avoid running dry for quite some time. It finally did in 1056 CA, just over 20 years after the people of Liber were brutally slaughtered in Liber's Revolt. The memory of this event was still fresh in the mind of the colonists, and so they accepted their slave status without uprising or dissent. It would be nearly 700 years until this slave status would be lifted. During that time, many slaves actually succeeded in buying their freedom through working primitive water collection systems they had designed. It was also during this period of slavery that worship of Ligo, God of Rain flourished, according to the testimony of the surviving Ligo's Blooms. The fact that, with the advent of Skyblood, the colony was removed from slave status only bolstered this support, as the continued rains meant the freedom of every person living on the island. However, it also meant that, in 267 SA, when the Empire decided to dismantle the temple to Ligo that had been built on Boreana, they only had to threaten to re-close the ports and the populace was cowed into submission. Boreana, despite its size and influence, took no part in the bloody Glesseal-Imperial War that followed. At some point, though sources differ on when exactly, an academy for teaching Skybloods was built. During the recent Trade Union Revolutionary War, all of the Academies refused to help either side, resulting in the House in control of them, House Hallowford, being dismantled. The Boreana Academy joined in this partial revolt, and was vital to the group's ability to stay impartial, as they were able to threaten the food supply of the Empire. The Boreana Academy has since re-opened its doors to anyone who can afford, like the rest of the Academies.

<Map of Boreana goes here>

Basic Information:

Founding Date: 472 CA, 3rd Zenith
Population: 4,470
Part of: The Empire
Owned by: The Putrace Family
Location Under: Barren Dominion

Notable Places:

• The Academy
• Putrace Mansion
• The Old Temple, the ruins of the temple to the Fullblooded of Water.
• The Collection Rigs, a city-sized machine in the bay of Boreanna for collecting water.

Notable People:

Gallicles Putrace, the Noble closest to the owner of Boreanna.
Chrylus Putrace, the heir to House Putrace and overseer of the colletion rigs.
Duccia Protacius, The Acadamy's Dean-Professor.
Putrace Reeve: Nemetoria Apelles
Avisong Representative: Felicius Quarto
Magistrate: Demipho Wyrmsange
Council of Workers: Truculentus Virnius, Liburnia Diocletius, Caprenia Libanius, and Sophoclidisca Tiberillus

Exports

Imports

Water

Foods
Slaves
Machine Parts

<Timeline goes here>

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