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chaosmagetwin · 8 years ago

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Dark Wizardess Location Index

This is a look at the Countries towns and cities (And will be updated) at its most ideal, or at least at its most normal, not it’s current state. They are not all very realistic (if at all), but i tried to give each one a unique feel as to WHY it is on the index. Most import basic goods like food and textiles, and if it is mentioned, it’s because they import larger amount than might be expected, or because they don’t have any themselves.

In the current time frame, most of these festivals are not being celebrated; more than one is in danger of being forgotten. There is a mass exodus of artistic talent as people take other jobs, and shift into survival mode. Also, the population numbers of the cities are not as stable as their numbers would make it appear; most have gained in number, as people come in from the fields looking for work, as many fields are experiencing drought and have had bad harvests. This has led to inflated numbers in the cities, but most are not working, even though many are looking for it. Cities with mines instead of fields are boasting more productivity, and is part of the reason as to why the country is doing as well as it is; an abundance of iron and other metals are going for sale in other countries, but this is a double edged sword (often literally) as it can fuel countries at war with them indirectly.

The people of the country are feeling the pressure of the times, and there is a cloud of depression and hopelessness across the land. Many blame the royalty for somehow angering the gods and for setting up bad trade deals. Religion is at an all time high, as people pray for help from the gods. Of course, more is happening across the world than just what is going on in this country, and some of it is felt in its effects here.

Litten Port

Size: Large City

Population: ~45,000

Exports: Fish, boats, glass, mercenaries, Pearls, Salt

Imports: Spices, Iron, Gold, Silver, Wool, Silk, Linen, Dyes, Oils

Natural Resources: Pearls, Lumber, Sand, Salt

Cultural Identity: Trade Port, Business

Festivals: The Blood Sea’s Festival: A festival created after winning a battle deemed unwinnable with no support from the country. It illustrates Litten Ports extreme independence and hard nature. Hardcore fans and extremely patriotic members of Litten Port slice open their wrists (in a non-lethal way). If enough people do so, it can turn the port red, as it apparently did in the famed battle. It is a festival of relaxation and also fertility, despite its origins in blood; after all, those who survived it apparently had a lot of kids.

Description: Litten Port is a city that takes up a large lagoon and bay, offering a safe haven for ships in need of a home during bad weather. Naturally, it also became a major trade port, though less because of any natural resources or lack of other options, and more because of a work ethic that has persisted throughout most of it’s lifespan. There is always work to be found in Litten port. That said, it’s also one of the most crime ridden cities in the country, a side effect of being popular and capable of putting nearly everyone to work.

Its food is, of course, mostly seafood. However, a great deal of spice is used in Litten Port cuisine, to the point that people who are new to it find it to be unpalatable. Salt is also used heavily, in addition to being sold and exported. While thenearby fields do not have very good soil, it is enough to grow a particular variety of millet that Litten Port uses for all of it’s breads and, in particular, a noodle that is used in almost every dish.

Litten Port has little in the way of entertainment, beyond red light districts. It’s not that the people don’t want more entertainment so much as they aren’t very creative. A hard work ethic and life has more or less driven them to be less than amazing at art. Still, Litten Port remains a consumer of artists, actors, composers, and more. Perhaps one day, Litten Port will be remembered for something other than its food.

Toad Tizzard Crossing

Size: Small Town

Population:~3,000

Exports: Magical Education, Magical Goods, Wheat, vegetables, Olives, Oil, Textiles, Enchanted wood.

Imports: Salt, iron, animal bones

Natural Resources: Lumber, Rich Soil,

Cultural Identity: Magic

Festivals: The Running of the Apprentices: A festival when new apprentices start their education at the college. The older students long ago stripped the newest apprentices of their clothes in a hazing attempt, and teleported them several miles out of the town. It has since grown into a festival, although clothes are now left on them, and instead an obstacle course was built. It’s more of a fair than a festival, really, and has little to no cultural bearing on the actual inhabitants of the town.

Description: Toad Tizzard Crossing is hardly worth talking about except for one facet; it is home to the third largest magical college in the country, and is often considered the most elite and powerful college. Even students withno magical power occasionally come here to learn their non-magical courses, although it is rare. It has no particular cuisine or culture unique to it.

Fey Tree

Size: Small town

Population: ~5000

Exports: Vegetables, Beef, Fertilizer

Imports: Cattle Feed, Iron, Lumber

Natural Resources: Rich Fields

Cultural Identity: Farming

Festivals: Harvest Moon: The usual Farming Festival, with an addition of bull riding and the like. Celebrated two weeks after harvest, and operates as a prayer for the next season.

Description: Fey tree is a small town, although it could hardly be called such when most of its population is spread out in farm houses and fields. However, its town center, where the festivals are held and the support buildings are built around, is centered around the titular Fey Tree. The Fey Tree is an ancient tree, whose exact age is unknown, but was old when the town was first built. There haven't been any sightings of fey, and no one knows how the tree has lived so long.

Farmers Hold

Size: Mid Sized Town

Population: ~10,000

Exports: Wheat and Vegetables

Imports: Iron, Fertilizer,

Natural Resources: Natural defenses in the form of several rivers around the town

Cultural Identity: Militia and Hard Work Farming

Festivals: None: They don’t celebrate anything for some reason. At best, they have tournaments for archery and fighting, but they aren’t really festivals.

Description: Farmers Hold isn’t really worth mentioning beyond the fact that is has a history of uprisings, defending against invaders against ‘impossible’ odds, and a history of nobles who keep misunderstanding their peasant population. Farmers Hold is also a strict democracy; nobles assigned here, or who attempt to rule here, are quickly met with hostility. Only two nobles have ever made the cut to leadership position, and it was due to popular vote. That said, they are patriotic in their own way, and thus the town is left unmolested, so long as it pays taxes and enforces the laws of the land. Complaining nobles are told to shut up and do their job without interfering. Thus, the numbers of Farmer’s Hold have swelled, despite there being poor land and little in the way of natural resources.

The West Islands

Size: Varies(it’s a region, not a city or town)

Population: Between 15,000 and 85,000

Exports: Fish, Iron, Copper, Silver, Gold, Pearls, Jewels,

Imports: Vegetables, Red Meats, White Meats, Netting material of all kinds, Lumber, Animals, Boats, Alchohol

Natural Resources: Mountainous islands, corals, sea-growing herbs for medicines

Cultural Identity: Lazy Fishermen, Miners, Islandfolk, Anarchists, Piracy, and more, often unique to each island.

Festivals: Too many to count, three specific to the region.

Deep Dive: Fishermen dive at the start of the spring to as deep as they can go, and go through as many clams as they possibly can. If they find a pearl, it’s considered to be good luck. If they die, well.. they died. Obviously, they had bad luck, and were destined to die this year anyways. Technically banned by the country, they still do it anyways.

Summer Laze: A period in the summer time when the fish temporarily move out further to sea and are hard to find. Naturally, it was turned into a festival to bring the fish back by partying for four days straight and getting blackout drunk all four days, then pouring all the remaining alchohol into the sea ‘for the fish’. Again, if people die, obviously they just had bad luck, and were going to die this year anyways. Luckily enough, most people know their limits and won’t die. Usually. Maybe.

The Focus: A period in the winter when the fish are, once again, temporarily out to sea and hard to find. This time, however, the festival is about quiet remembrance, swearing off alchohol, and eating bland food as they meditate. Some swear off food as well. This festival lasts for as long as the fish are gone, from a few weeks to a month. If anyone starves to death, it’s their own damn fault, no one told them to not eat food.

Description: More of a region than a town, The West Islands are a lively, active place, filled with all sorts of people. The islands themselves are terrible for living, but are also rich in minerals. Most homes are built on the beaches, or, if they can, into the stone of the mountains. Generally speaking, though, most everyone lives on boats, and ferry themselves around between the many small villages and towns. There is a city in the West Islands, but it’s considered a Pirate City, with a population of about ten thousands transients. Whether it’s on anisland or just a flotilla of boats is hard to say; law abiding folk don’t know, and the pirates won’t say.

East Maia

Size: Large City

Population: ~30,000

Exports: Iron, Copper, Mercury, Coal, Lumber, Wheat, Granite, Marble, Clay, Magical Goods, Pottery

Imports: Food of all kinds, leather, talent, birds

Natural Resources: Mineral Rich Mountains and hills, natural defenses,

Cultural Identity: Stoic Miners, Merchants, and Tradesmen

Festivals: The Storm Drought: A period of time in the summer when the particularly wet weather of East Maia calms down a little for a few weeks, giving the people of East Maia a chance to go outside for a change and enjoy the sun. It’s considered a festival of fertility and joy. Years without a Storm Drought are considered incredibly unlucky; residents cite the increased suicide rate as evidence of it, and the mines are often more carefully explored; cheap bird imports are quintupled in such years.

Description: East Maia is a city in two parts; one is above ground, sprawling and made with stone; the more expensive a place is, the more carefully it is carved and more likely to be made of marble. The cheaper homes are built with granite bricks, and every home is fitted with pottery roofs, except for the very cheapest, which are made out of straw. Despite lumber being an export of East Maia, stone is much cheaper to build with. The other half of the city is built, or rather carved, out of the mines; this is where the cheapest homes are, and although a lot has gone into making them livable, they are not very comfortable or pretty. Still, the people of East Maia are famous for their interior decorating and their ability to live underground; they are often compared to Dwarves, and some people take that as a compliment. East Maia has a strange weather phenomenon in which the clouds from the inner sea smash against the mountains and immediately dump a large portion of their water on the city. East Maia has rain and cloudy days for almost every day of the year, save for during The Storm Drought. The people have adapted to it, but they suffer from an increased rate of depression and unhappiness, according to the census. These daily rains don’t leave the area’s beyond the mountains dry, as the clouds eventually make it over or around the mountains and continue to at the very least mist, though not quite as often as daily. The mines are built for this sort of weather, and features drains at the lowest points. Often, they will dig up to create a water trap, then down again while they dig a new drain. They then drain the old area again, and new builders move in to expand the mines into homes and apartments, creating chimneys and air vents. Certain architectural geniuses have managed to create vents that circulate air with the wind throughout the mines, but some worry that such creations might begin to weaken the structural integrity of the mountains itself. Cave-ins are common, and an ever present worry for those who live within the mines themselves.

Arithya Castle

Size: Small castle

Population: ~200

Exports: Wheat

Imports: Iron, Food, Goods

Natural Resources: Decent Fields, relatively flat lands.

Cultural Identity: None.

Festivals: None.

Description: Arithya Castle is a small castle, once apart of the border guards of the country nearly two centuries prior. The castle itself has few people inside it; most of the population is in the farms outside the castle, and live in their own homes. The castle proper has close to thirty people, and serves as the town center. It can hold up to three hundred people, but it would be cramped. In the event of an attack, Castle Arithya can garrison up to sixty soldiers on the walls, but has no place for siege engines.

Fenrich’s Hold

Size: Enormous Castle

Population: ~2000

Exports: Clay, Pottery, Fish, Pearls, Soldiers

Imports: Coal, Iron, Lumber, stone

Natural Resources: Natural Defenses, rough sea’s, and clay deposits.

Cultural Identity: Naval Support and Strict Militarism.

Festivals:

The Festival of Arms: Where some towns and cities have festivals of art and farming, Fenrich’s Hold has festivals of military might and combat, idolizing and fetishizing it to the point that outsiders find it disturbing. Where a town might hold a small tournament, Fenrich’s Hold revels in it for nearly a month. Everyone is encouraged to participate, from young men to old women to children and expectant mothers. What’s odd is that Fenrich’s Hold is also one of the most peaceful locations in the country, rarely touched by war or fighting. They just simply seem to enjoy it. Some say they wish they could hold it year long, and to an extent, they do; there is always some tournament or another going on at Fenrich’s Hold, but the ones to remember are the ones at The Festival of Arms.

The Focus: Stolen from the West Islands that aren’t that far away from them, The Focus here is about mass civic reconstruction, repairing roads, walls, homes, and then throwing a huge feast after it is complete. They found the idea of fasting and not drinking alchohol for a time repugnant, but no one knows why they decided to call it The Focus. Some say it was the first Focus, but who knows?

Description: Fenrich’s Hold is an ancient and well made castle that expands a little each year. That said, most of its population is spread out in nearby villages that are sworn to the castle, rather than just being near the castle, so one could say it simply is a zone of influence rather just than a town or castle. Nevertheless, Fenrich’s Hold is capable of garrisoning over three thousand soldiers at any one time, and has several towers and parts of the castle that can hold siege engines, even one at the very center and highest point for a well maintained trebuchet. Still, Fenrich’s Hold is more of a extremely dedicated hobbyist endeavor, rather than a battle tested castle. If the castle has weaknesses, no one has bothered to find them.

Rizzith Keep

Size: Large Castle

Population: ~700

Exports: Fine Sand, Sandstone

Imports: Weapons, Food

Natural Resources: A wide open view, and badlands Sand.

Cultural Identity: Stoic Militarism

Festivals: None

Description: The first of the Twin Keeps, Rizzith Keep is the stoic, stone-faced Older Brother to Rannoth Keep. It is considered Traditionalist, and professional. It guards the southern border against tribal invasions. It’s large population is garrisoned entirely within its walls, one third of which is always on patrol on horseback. The soldiers in both keeps are considered battle tested veterans if they live for longer than a year here. Soldiers within Rizzith Keep quickly adopt the ideology of “Stone Faced Killers”, and continue to hold it through out their careers.

Rannoth Keep

Size: Large Castle

Population: ~600

Exports: Fine Sand, Granite

Imports: Weapons, Food, paint

Natural Resources: A wide open view, and badlands Sand.

Cultural Identity: Relaxed Militarism

Festivals: The Soldiers Dance: A festival in which everyone relaxes and parties for a few days, taking a bit of culture from everywhere.

Description: Rannoth Keep is the younger sister to Rizzith Keep, brightly painted and far more laid back. By no means weak or unprepared against an attack, Rannoth Keep is considered to be an oddity among soldiers. Perhaps it is something in the water, perhaps it’s just an infectious attitude, but the people garrisoned here are laid back and fun loving types. The soldiers within are battle tested veterans, or are quickly considered so if they live longer than a year here. Half of Rannoth keep goes on patrol at a time, and while Rizzith Keep may not think so, they are locked in a fierce competition to see who is the better keep. Soldiers within Rannoth Keep quickly adopt the ideology of “One for all, all for one”, and believes strongly in the rhetoric of working together, a side effect of the parties bringing them together emotionally. Most will continue to hold this ideology throughout their careers, even if they don’t continue to party.

Alexanders Castle

Size: Enormous Castle

Population: ~2000

Exports: Stone, Iron, Lumber

Imports: Food, weapons

Natural Resources: Incredible Natural Defenses, iron rich veins in nearby mines, forests.

Cultural Identity: Relaxed hot springs

Festivals: None that stand out.

Description: Named after a famous hero who made his last stand here, Alexanders Castle is situated on the northern border in a mountainous pass. Acting as a border guard and first defense, one would think that Alexanders Castle is one of stoic heroism and cold snows, when, in actuality, it is quite the opposite; the people here are laid back and almost lazy. While it is surrounded by snow and the like, the castle itself is situated among geothermal vents and hot springs, making it an unlikely destination for tourists and relaxation. People often joke that the Hot Springs were the only reason Alexander actually made this place his last stand, and as a result have made him into a bit of a caricature of a fat, lazy commander who just wants to relax, made heroic only by his laziness. Whether it was the truth or not, who could say, but Alexanders Castle certainly lives up to that image.

Little Dren

Size: Small Village

Population: ~200, booms to ~3000

Exports: Wool, Mutton

Imports: Lumber, Livestock Feed,

Natural Resources: Rolling green hills

Cultural Identity: Shepards

Festivals: Shear-ful: A play on words (Cheerful), the Shearful is a festival in which people sing while shearing the sheep. During this time of the year, thousands of migrant workers are brought in to shear sheep, and as a result, a tent city springs up with an enormous mixture of cultures, making Little Dren a surprising candidate for culture.

Description: To say that little Dren is a village would lead to a few misunderstandings. There are only ten permanent buildings in the village, and nine of them are lodges. The remaining one is a town hall. It’s not enough to house most of the population, but, luckily, most of the population carries tents anyways, and sleep with their herds.

Strenfert City

Size: Metropolis

Population: ~60,000

Exports: Art, Worked Goods, Textiles, Fashionable Clothes,

Imports: Food, Building Materials,

Natural Resources: A natural crossroads in the country, everyone must pass through Strenfert.

Cultural Identity: The Artistic Noble Elite

Festivals: All.

The Art Festival: Where most towns and cities have some form of it, The Art Festival in Strenfert City is THE Art Festival. None are larger, and even people from other countries often visit just to see what is going on, and plenty more visit to profit from it. Every form of art is made and sold, and more than a few scholars congregate to discuss new forms of art, and how to take old mediums further.

The Spring Ball: Although it started as an event the Royals held in the palace, the Spring Ball was brought to the common people by a certain king in the past. Since then, the common people have celebrated it like any other festival, although they go out of their way to dress nice for it; most have one or two nice suits or dresses that they take very good care of just for this event, and it is night that filled with revelry. In reality, the royalty only held the spring ball a few times before that, and it wasn’t even that big of a deal. Only by introducing it to the commoners of Strenfert City did it become a big deal.

The Fall Festivus: This festival is a conglomerate of all the harvest festivals in the country, creating an insane mix of cultures and festivals that somehow turns into a brewfest and dance party. One can never be sure what will happen during the Fall Festivus, but one can be sure that it will be amazing.

The Fertility Festival: This festival is another conglomerate of all the fertility festivals, but is far more subdued, and celebrated in the depths of winter. It is for both farming and people, and while it is more subdued than the Fall Festivus, it is still a party. It is also considered the Thieves Festival, considering how many people get robbed during it, somehow more by a large margin than any other festival. At this point, if you don’t get robbed during the festival, then you simply haven't had a good enough Fertility Festival.

Description: Strenfert City is the Capital of the country, and is also it’s cultural center. Most forms of art for the country originate here, and it holds a number of festivals from across the country. In fact, if they spread out their festivals better, there wouldn’t be a day that wasn’t celebrating something. That said, most of the festivals are condensed into the same time frames. Strenfert is an incredibly sprawling city, which has gone through several growth spurts, marked by four different sets of walls. The first wall was built around the castle, a last defense. The second wall was built early, and now holds the small but elite section for nobles mansions and homes, as well as high class merchants. The third wall was built much later as a defense against an encroaching hoard, and holds much of what is now the middle class and the many different trades. The fourth wall was built within the last one hundred years, and holds the lower class and many many more tradescraft, but often the ones that are seen as dirty such as blacksmithing and tanning. It’s original castle became a palace after being demolished in an earthquake (seen as good luck, because it was falling apart at the time), and its walls were rebuilt in the same locations. The city has since spilt out of the fourth wall by a large margin, and is actually quite mixed in who occupies it; whatever people wanted to build was built, from mansions to blacksmiths to tent cities and back to mansions again. Outside the walls is where most of the trading is done, in the various markets that have sprung up around warehouses and granaries. Still, there is talk of plans for a new wall to go up again.

Each wall in the city is actively manned, though the further in one gets, the more ornate the uniforms and weapons become. Additionally, each wall is taller than the last by at least ten feet, making the final wall rather impressive and incredibly thick to support it. The palace itself is a feat of modern engineering and architecture, designed so that the uppermost levels can see over the walls

#Dark Wizardess #Locations #background #World Building

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