Viridia
In the Emerald Plains of Viridia, mortals live among creatures of animate stained glass. Spires built by ancient hands house troves of advanced technology and items of immense power. With the largest elven population in all of Wesrino, Viridia is only rivaled by Goldreed itself in terms of social acceptance. The stores of ancient Seer artifacts hidden away in their glass spires attracts scores of adventurers and scholars, turning the province into Wesrino's center of technological progress and magical understanding. These factors have made Viridia a place largely free of the conflicts familiar to the other Border-Marches, wealthy and secure. However, for all of it's apparent harmony, it is not without it's own issues. Elven supremacist groups, the steady and worrying expansion of the Emerald Plains, even rumors of secret cults dedicated to the Elders continue to blemish Viridia's reputation, facts that it's populace would much rather be forgotten.
Spires made of Jadeglass pepper Viridia's forests, some reaching high enough to scrape the clouds. Within these towers, protected by guardian beasts and impossible architecture, are rooms filled with unimaginable spoils. Those able to survive the ascent often walk away with great riches, unique items, and (potentially dangerous) understanding of the Aeons and other forgotten knowledge. Boom towns are often erected among newly discovered spires, attracting many seeking their fortune in the homes of the Seers. An guild of spire raiders known as the Seerseekers often subsidize adventurers seeking to explore the jadeglass towers, providing equipment and guidance in exchange for a tax on any findings. Most newer spiretowns are under the de facto governance of the Seerseekers, owing their infrastructure and continued survival more to the guild than to their local rulers.
The very existence of the Seers' spires and their secrets has made Viridia a hotbed for scientific advancement. Archeologists, historians, and inventors alike flock to Jadeseal to learn about the latest in Seer knowledge. Though lacking the means to mass produce newly-discovered cutting-edge inventions, Viridian innovations and techniques in craftsmanship are second to none in Wesrino. Despite the city's ostensible scholarly bent, ambitious and talented whitesmiths often travel to Jadeseal to become craftsmen par excellence.
While Viridia is overwhelmingly dominated by idyllic forests, it's capital, Jadeseal, is located within the Emerald Plains, a landscape of creatures and plants built of living jadeglass. This material is regularly harvested from the Plain for it's useful material properties in construction and whitesmithing. This is not a simple process, however; the Plain appears to be aware of threats to itself, lashing those with violent intent with shards of razor-sharp glass. Some (mostly elves, though some exist among other races) seem to have an innate connection to the Plain, able to pacify it, for a time at least, making these "shardsouls" essential to both the mining of jadeglass and transport through the Plains themselves. Despite it's seeming benignity, the Plain is slowly but steadily expanding day after day. Larger settlements only exist thanks to the daily attentions of local groups of shardsouls, while smaller towns must be evacuated when the Plain creeps too near, threatening to convert the inhabitants to yet another extension of the creeping glass. Chillingly, some hamlets have been consumed overnight, despite being months away from their expected consumption. In spite of the efforts of shardsouls and scholars to understand the Emerald Plain, it has frustrated all attempts to illuminate it's nature, leaving those in undefended towns to worry at night about the threat of assimilation.
Spires made of Jadeglass pepper Viridia's forests, some reaching high enough to scrape the clouds. Within these towers, protected by guardian beasts and impossible architecture, are rooms filled with unimaginable spoils. Those able to survive the ascent often walk away with great riches, unique items, and (potentially dangerous) understanding of the Aeons and other forgotten knowledge. Boom towns are often erected among newly discovered spires, attracting many seeking their fortune in the homes of the Seers. An guild of spire raiders known as the Seerseekers often subsidize adventurers seeking to explore the jadeglass towers, providing equipment and guidance in exchange for a tax on any findings. Most newer spiretowns are under the de facto governance of the Seerseekers, owing their infrastructure and continued survival more to the guild than to their local rulers.
The very existence of the Seers' spires and their secrets has made Viridia a hotbed for scientific advancement. Archeologists, historians, and inventors alike flock to Jadeseal to learn about the latest in Seer knowledge. Though lacking the means to mass produce newly-discovered cutting-edge inventions, Viridian innovations and techniques in craftsmanship are second to none in Wesrino. Despite the city's ostensible scholarly bent, ambitious and talented whitesmiths often travel to Jadeseal to become craftsmen par excellence.
While Viridia is overwhelmingly dominated by idyllic forests, it's capital, Jadeseal, is located within the Emerald Plains, a landscape of creatures and plants built of living jadeglass. This material is regularly harvested from the Plain for it's useful material properties in construction and whitesmithing. This is not a simple process, however; the Plain appears to be aware of threats to itself, lashing those with violent intent with shards of razor-sharp glass. Some (mostly elves, though some exist among other races) seem to have an innate connection to the Plain, able to pacify it, for a time at least, making these "shardsouls" essential to both the mining of jadeglass and transport through the Plains themselves. Despite it's seeming benignity, the Plain is slowly but steadily expanding day after day. Larger settlements only exist thanks to the daily attentions of local groups of shardsouls, while smaller towns must be evacuated when the Plain creeps too near, threatening to convert the inhabitants to yet another extension of the creeping glass. Chillingly, some hamlets have been consumed overnight, despite being months away from their expected consumption. In spite of the efforts of shardsouls and scholars to understand the Emerald Plain, it has frustrated all attempts to illuminate it's nature, leaving those in undefended towns to worry at night about the threat of assimilation.
Culture
Jadeglass is at the core of Viridian culture, the glasslike material being used in nearly every facet of life. It is made into reinforcements for buildings and with other metals for the creation of exemplary arms and armor. It is a mark of social status for those with the means to have it woven into their clothing; full dresses, tunics, and trousers spun from jadeglass is the greatest evidence of elegance. Despite their ostentatious tastes, even the highest among the gentry bow before the shardsouls essential to their lifestyles. Those with an innate connection to the Emerald Plain have no difficulties finding employment protecting noble demesnes, and are afforded immense respect for it.
Due to their status as the majority of shardsouls, as well as their potential relationship with the ever-intriguing Seers, elves hold an exalted status among the humans of Viridia, a stark contrast to the disdain-to-basic-acceptance seen in the rest of Wesrino. Even in Goldreed, where nonhumans are seen as interesting and exotic, the level of elven appreciation in Viridia is seen as disconcerting at best. They are so core to Viridia's economy that they are required to serve in the protection of larger cities in danger of being integrated into the Emerald Plain. While no few elves are content with this arrangement, being given extremely generous salaries and housing exclusive to Heralds elsewhere, many others feel treated like trophies, tools, and pets
Clothing aside, Viridians place great importance on sophistication and education, often looking down on those with "lesser" or nonexistent educations. Even the poorest peasants learn to read and write elegantly and the Towers of Knowledge, library-schools built in fully explored spires, are among the most prestigious collages in Wesrino. The reputation of the Seerseekers is not that of a guild of daring adventurers, but of a group of martially-inclined patrons of education for their work in clearing out the Seers' spires. Even the reputation of your Tower of Knowledge has a significant effect on one's standing; those having graduated from Silverleaf consider Windspry attendees low-brow philistines lacking in "real" education or innovation. Both are disdained by those from the illustrious Shardspire.
Type
Geopolitical, Province
Parent Organization
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