Sep 20, 2019 7:25 pm
Lakewood
The small town of Lakewood was always mostly unremarkable. Even at its height during Imperial times, it was little more than a layover for those that wanted a quiet resting place from the Imperial Road, or who wanted to divest themselves of imperial life altogether. It was not until the Covenant Empire dissolved that refugees began to trickle in, setting up small villages along the lake. Lakeshore was somewhat welcoming of all cultures at first, but as land filled up and newcomers were given the blame for problems, the community gradually segregated into small racial enclaves. Eventually things settled down, and since Lakeshore was the oldest community, leadership fell to it. Nowadays though, Lakeshore's biggest political task is ensuring the health of the lake.
The League Cities
The cities of the League always chafed under the restrictions placed upon them by the Covenant Empire. The League began life as a home for religions that were not welcome in the Empire. Almost to a tee this was because each of these religions felt that only they offered the course of truth. Ironically, one of the very first things they did upon settling in the area that came to be known as the League was to guarantee all those in the League the freedom to practice religion. This led to the League falling into a very loose confederation, but they soon came to find a more unifying cause. Money. Trade in the Empire was heavily regulated, with all imports and exports having to pass through the empire before being redistributed. The League objected to this, and began to run ships to other non-Imperial ports, bypassing taxation. Things were drawing to a head with the Empire when Imperial forces were recalled home. The League used the opportunity to declare themselves a free confederation. In another twist of irony though, they now do not trade outside of themselves; the Empire's forces are no longer there to protect their trade vessels.
The Old Lands
The Old Lands are the last fading remnants of the Covenant Empire. Ostensibly led by Foundation, the former Imperial seat, provincial governments are more regularly taking their own path. Even a generation ago, they had a firm non-aggression and defense pact, but that too is slowly disintegrating. There's simply no one to defend against but each other.
- Cloudspire sits a thousand feet above anything else in the Old Lands, and looks down its collective nose at all its neighbors. It also refuses outside trade with anyone, and allows no passage in or out, with the expection of increasingly rare diplomats.
- Greenwall is a military fortress that guards the eastern march of the Old Lands.
- Invernë was the largest port in the Empire for many years, but with the completion of Terminus, much traffic had begun to divert away from it. It could have become a ghost town were it not for the ghosting of the Empire itself.
- Foundation is the largest city in the Old Lands, and still the most respected. They cling to the idea that they are the legitimate Imperial government.
- Running is the western equivalent of Greenwall, but it is not as rich, and at a sever lack of manpower.
- Unilith is a massive vertical city, made of one gigantic, hollow column that rises into the air at a very slight angle. The top scholars there say that it is because they believe the land to be part of a giant spinning ball, and thus the angle is essential for balance.
- Windrise is the newest port on the northern sea, and the fastest growing, even now. It took over from Invernë as the main port town after the completion of Terminus.
- There is nothing especially noteworthy about Southcove, Northcove, Willowvale, Goldport, Stilbourne, Fallowfield, and Fireheart. They were lesser ports, and were home to those traders that could not afford the more expensive Invernë, Windrise, or League Cities. Now that they have more relative power, they're starting to come into their own.
Terminus
As the expansion of the old Covenant Empire began to stretch around the eastern corner of the land, it became less and less tenable to send goods and other traffic back along the twenty-four-hundred-mile stretch of Imperial Road. Ports were set up along the way, but boat travel was still less secure than land, and so a group of dwarves took it upon themselves to extend the road even further, through unknown terrain, until they arrived at Terminus. The dwarves, always more comfortable in the mountains made their home in that city, but also constructed a port, named in practical dwarven fashion, Wayport. From here, instead of the eleven-day trip through treacherous passages - including two fifty-mile-wide straits full of rocks - ships that left Wayport could sail just two days through much safer waters before depositing their cargo.
The small town of Lakewood was always mostly unremarkable. Even at its height during Imperial times, it was little more than a layover for those that wanted a quiet resting place from the Imperial Road, or who wanted to divest themselves of imperial life altogether. It was not until the Covenant Empire dissolved that refugees began to trickle in, setting up small villages along the lake. Lakeshore was somewhat welcoming of all cultures at first, but as land filled up and newcomers were given the blame for problems, the community gradually segregated into small racial enclaves. Eventually things settled down, and since Lakeshore was the oldest community, leadership fell to it. Nowadays though, Lakeshore's biggest political task is ensuring the health of the lake.
The League Cities
The cities of the League always chafed under the restrictions placed upon them by the Covenant Empire. The League began life as a home for religions that were not welcome in the Empire. Almost to a tee this was because each of these religions felt that only they offered the course of truth. Ironically, one of the very first things they did upon settling in the area that came to be known as the League was to guarantee all those in the League the freedom to practice religion. This led to the League falling into a very loose confederation, but they soon came to find a more unifying cause. Money. Trade in the Empire was heavily regulated, with all imports and exports having to pass through the empire before being redistributed. The League objected to this, and began to run ships to other non-Imperial ports, bypassing taxation. Things were drawing to a head with the Empire when Imperial forces were recalled home. The League used the opportunity to declare themselves a free confederation. In another twist of irony though, they now do not trade outside of themselves; the Empire's forces are no longer there to protect their trade vessels.
The Old Lands
The Old Lands are the last fading remnants of the Covenant Empire. Ostensibly led by Foundation, the former Imperial seat, provincial governments are more regularly taking their own path. Even a generation ago, they had a firm non-aggression and defense pact, but that too is slowly disintegrating. There's simply no one to defend against but each other.
- Cloudspire sits a thousand feet above anything else in the Old Lands, and looks down its collective nose at all its neighbors. It also refuses outside trade with anyone, and allows no passage in or out, with the expection of increasingly rare diplomats.
- Greenwall is a military fortress that guards the eastern march of the Old Lands.
- Invernë was the largest port in the Empire for many years, but with the completion of Terminus, much traffic had begun to divert away from it. It could have become a ghost town were it not for the ghosting of the Empire itself.
- Foundation is the largest city in the Old Lands, and still the most respected. They cling to the idea that they are the legitimate Imperial government.
- Running is the western equivalent of Greenwall, but it is not as rich, and at a sever lack of manpower.
- Unilith is a massive vertical city, made of one gigantic, hollow column that rises into the air at a very slight angle. The top scholars there say that it is because they believe the land to be part of a giant spinning ball, and thus the angle is essential for balance.
- Windrise is the newest port on the northern sea, and the fastest growing, even now. It took over from Invernë as the main port town after the completion of Terminus.
- There is nothing especially noteworthy about Southcove, Northcove, Willowvale, Goldport, Stilbourne, Fallowfield, and Fireheart. They were lesser ports, and were home to those traders that could not afford the more expensive Invernë, Windrise, or League Cities. Now that they have more relative power, they're starting to come into their own.
Terminus
As the expansion of the old Covenant Empire began to stretch around the eastern corner of the land, it became less and less tenable to send goods and other traffic back along the twenty-four-hundred-mile stretch of Imperial Road. Ports were set up along the way, but boat travel was still less secure than land, and so a group of dwarves took it upon themselves to extend the road even further, through unknown terrain, until they arrived at Terminus. The dwarves, always more comfortable in the mountains made their home in that city, but also constructed a port, named in practical dwarven fashion, Wayport. From here, instead of the eleven-day trip through treacherous passages - including two fifty-mile-wide straits full of rocks - ships that left Wayport could sail just two days through much safer waters before depositing their cargo.
