On the southern continet of Vaerinor located in the realm of Alpha Magenta, there are five nations or kingdoms

• The Kingdom of Magiana
• TrePhru
• The Kingdom of Redron
• Mounra
• Xasno

Kingdom of Magiana

With its seven million inhabitants, the Kingdom of Magiana is by far the largest on the continent. Visitors will find the locals friendly and kind-spirited; even if at first glane, it may seem the opposite as a house owner searches a guest’s belongings to ensure that no books have been brought. Subjecting oneself to a search is part of the culture, and not seen as odd to the natives.

Books and storytelling are forbidden here, as is music. Yet, these people enjoy dancing, and will do so despite all musical instruments being banned. “Silent dancing” is considered an artform.

The main occupation throughout the dozen of towns and villages which dot the coast of the northern peninsula is fishing. Given how the bay is the only waterbody free of underwater dragons, fish is considered a luxury by the other nations of Vaerinor.

For the Order of the Unseen, which is based in Magiana and considered almost as powerful as the king, the largest import is aqualunite purhased from the Kingdom of Redron. “May abstain save you” is a phrase used in place of goodbye and hello. Even an outsider understands how the phrase suggests avoiding allowing one’s imagination to run wild lest the emotions spark magic.

The Behemoth Bear

While the people of Magiana have little concern for the underwater dragons, they have their own threats to worry about. The Behemoth Bear, an evolutionary mutation of the brown bear, reaches an impressive height of twelve feet at shoulder level. Standing upright on its hind legs, it becomes a thirty-foot tall mountain of muscles and sharp claws with a menacing bite.

Additionally, a pair of large wings straddle the bear’s back. It can’t fly any great distance but the wings do allow the bear to glide through the air. Although these creatures are limited in numbers, the wise will choose a detour as soon as a guttural growl is first heard.

However despite the great risk involved, the military of Magiana captures and trains the bears, turning them into monstrous steeds. There are few soldiers who own such a magnificent beast, which in combat are known to wreak havoc across enemy lines. About the only thing that will stop a trampling bear as it speeds forward with its mouth open, ready to snap the head of anyone close enough, are open flames. Like many wild animals, a fear of fire resides inside the Behemoth Bear.

Amazal

The entire city of Amazal is an entertainment complex made of beauty and wonder for the common folk to enjoy. During its creation, the mages insisted for there to be no gates or walls lining the city border. And so, it’s a place welcoming and opening to guests.

From afar, the iconic landmark of a thousand foot tall stone statue, spreading its protective wings across the city, is visible. As one approaches, many carrousel wheels can be viewed towering above the brick houses.

Atheneum

The great library of Atheneum is situated on a small island, thirty miles off the coast of Amazal. Small wooden craft with a long seat and steering bar known as Wave Leapers are used by the Arch Mages to travel for meetings with the High Council in Amazal—a trip which can be made in little over two hours.

The general population has no idea that a massive library, containing the last books from across Vaerinor, exists this close by. By the use of ancient, and forgotten, magic the entire island along with Atheneum’s buildings are kept invisible to anyone not on the island.

Lakeside

The sound of rushing water from where the river exits a great lake via numerous waterfalls is audible as soon as one nears the city of Lakeside. This is the home of more than ten-thousand people on its multiple islands spaning the edge of the lake and river. Multiple stone bridges act as roads between each island section of the city.

The foundation of every building has been constructed on flat slabs of stone, protruding from underneath the surface of the water. This gives an impression the city floats on the water. In the early hours of the morning, the rising sun turns the mist rising from the cascades into a rose-gold fog and shrouds the city in etheral light.

Skycel

A small city has grown around the kingdom’s only hospital, Skycel. For the most part, Skycel is a working town, where citizens are either employed at the hospital or providing related services. Erected on top of a flat stone-disk which rests on a massive supportive stone pillar that is crammed between two plateaus in a space that is only two-miles wide, the city of Skycel isn’t easy to access.

One can only enter this city in the sky by use of the elevated stone bridge. The four-hundred-foot drop to the ground below would prove fatal, but thorough instructions on how to cross safely are given at the way station located at the roads base. The way station is surrounded by the few spots of grass which refuses to give way to the arid and dry ground that are the hallmark of the landscape this far north.

A Puppet King

The Restless Expanse is in the territory of the Kingdom of Redron, and it would trigger a war if the neighboring Kingdom of Magiana attempted to extract aqualunite on their own. However, it just so happens that the Kingdom of Magiana is more than happy to pay the premium, King Jerama of Redron charges for the crystal. There are too many dangers involved in harvesting Aqualunite.

Apart from the handling of the crystal itself, seasonal monsoons will flood areas in the vicinity of the desert. Following the bedrock under the desert sand, the water pushes Aqualunite to the surface where it – being hydrophobic – “escapes” the water, erupting to the surface. There the particles are picked up by the wind.
Desert sand storms, which were already devastating, are laced with sharp crystals blown on strong winds, and are capable of shredding people to bits.

The High Council of Mages has advised the King of Magiana that it’s best left for others to deal with the dangers involved in collecting aqualunite, which Magiana uses heavily. It’s not worth the risk.

The King agreed; as always.

In truth, it’s common knowledge how the mages – also known as The Order of the Unseen – controls the levers of power in Magiana.

Isolated and keeping to themselves inside the forest realm of TrePhru, five-and-a-half million sylpham go about life with little concern of the outside world.

The sylpham shun visitors, and prefer not to engage in trade or become wrapped up in political intrigue. Left to their own devices, they are a peaceful people, who live a slow and relaxed life. Even their way of speaking is checked and mellow.

Two large cities, White Wood and Placid Grove, along with the smaller town of Rabbit’s Den are the only known settlements in TrePhru. Under normal circumstances, none of these locations would be classified as cities though. While they do represent populated areas, there are no defensive walls… or even houses.

The sylpham would never take it upon themselves to clear the forest in order to make room for traditional houses. Instead, they live in tents and in harmony with their environment.

While they might seem like a harmless people at first glance, they are not to be underestimated. They look with grave seriousness on anyone who carries weapons onto their lands and punishment for injuring their forest is severe.

The Kingdom of Redron

While the kingdom contains towns like Three Rivers, Oakvile, and Westdon, it’s Sandom that is the true heart of the four million souls of Redron. Though each city is decorated by the red banners symbolizing the kingdom. For the residents of Sandom, however, living this close the Restless Expanse comes at a cost.

Where other nations feed on domesticated livestock, the people of Redron only have access to limited grassland miles outside the city. If they wanted to, it would be possible to clear the forest for more space. However, so far, this technological advanced nation seems to prefer trading with Magiana for food supplies.

The focus and strive for riches is such a strong cultural trait that little attention is paid to those who haven’t made a name for themselves. Either you’re a winner, or you’re worth less than nothing!

Mostly working at night due to the extreme heat, workers, slaves, and criminals mine more and more of the aqualunite crystal from the desert sands. Wearing thick gloves, goggles, hats, and specialized boots, miners brave the dangers of the desert in pursuit of wealth—or under duress as a form of punishment.

Sign language is a part of the culture, as it’s the easiest way to communicate while wearing protective gear. Yet, all of these hassles brings its own benefits; The Kingdom of Redron has developed the Redron Plate armor, which is far superior to what any other nation have access to.

Sandom

Very few would ever travel to Sandom—not unless they had to. In fact, it’s hard to believe that the capital city of Redron would ever have been founded had it not been for the precious minerals held captive in the hostile soil of the desert.

Sandom now enjoys immense wealth. While traveling merchant could certainly do without the ten-mile hike into the Restless Expanse, as the desert has been named, they have little choice if they too desire a cut of the wealth enjoyed by King Jerama and the people of Sandom.

The only way in and out of the desert city is to follow the wide cobblestone trade-way south from Oakvile. Where the road reaches the Restless Expanse, it gives way to a hard-packed gravel road called, the Safe Route.

Sandom itself stands elevated 300 feet above the desert floor, supported by magically-enhanced rock pillars. On top sits the enormous stone plate that carries the entire capital.

The Safe Route comes to an end, dropping into a gorge that separates the elevated city from dangerous desert surface. A stout granite bridge, wide enough to support one hundred soldiers marching shoulder-to-shoulder, takes the exhausted traveler the remaining half-mile to the gates of Sandom.

The Red Gate is the first thing that greets any visitors. It’s shouldered by a steel wall that rises thirty feet into the air until curved metal plates, mounted into the wall itself, takes over and provides shelter from the harsh winds that constantly blow across the desert. The windows of the buildings are on tracks so that metal shutters can be closed over them, protecting the glass—and occupants—from major sand storms.

Located at the heart of Sandom is a spire that would reach the clouds if there were any in this part of Ylècium. In front of the spire in a wide plaza is a central fountain. It’s water is forced up from deep beneath the ground to the city through the use of aqualunite. From the fountain, water is distrubted to residents throughout the city through small canals.

Aqualunite

In a quest for wealth, the Kingdom of Redron discovered how to extract the deadly aqualunite crystal from the desert and use it as fuel. Being hydrophobic, aqualunite will on contact with bare skin forcably expel water out of a person’s body, killing the individual within seconds. However, releasing small doses into water makes a highly efficient propellant.

Since its discovery, aqualunite has become the most valuable resource in the world, but removing it from the desert sand is far from an easy process. As if operating in the desert wasn’t hard enough, aqualunite crystals are razor-sharp and cut their way through even the sturdiest of boots.

To prevent those doomed to collect aqualunite—a job often assigned to criminals and prisoners of war—from having their feet shredded to ribbons before they perish from spontaneous water expulsion, customized, reinforced, boots were developed. These metallic plated, leather boots offer coverage all the way to the knee, but it’s the soles that are the most important. If it wasn’t for the thirty-inch spikes which sink into the ground and prevent workers from touching the surface, even the reinforced steel soles wouldn’t last long.

While the highly specialized pieces of footwear are extremely durable, they too succumb to the harshness of the environment sooner or later. Unfortunately, only the Ember Dwarves have the required the skills to assemble new ones.

The Restless Expanse

The desert has earned its name, the Restless Expanse, because of the never-ending winds that blow across the great flat plains much like the heatwave of a furnace; the gust offers no relief from the damned heat. There are no shelters from the brutally high temperatures which has baked the salty ground.

Little open water is found on the surface, except in the rare occasion where a small pool tempts the thirsty traveler. The inexperienced journeyman might defy the sharp crystals, embedded in the sand, only to discover that the water reservoir harbors another threat. Just beneath the shallow surface, the ground often grows weak due to the water pushing up from the depths below, and can no longer support the weight of a person. The mixture of water, sand, and salt are thick enough to consume and suffocate anyone who falls in.

Those who are smart enough not to step into the pool, usually discovers the water mockingly brackish and unfit for drinking. On occasion, it has even turned poisonous. These tiny oasis tend to dry out in short order, leaving nothing but hard, cracked clay behind.

Most parts of the Restless Expanse remain unexplored due to the inhospitable environment, but scholars claim that deep within this sea of sand, lives a nomadic people in a paradise. A mountain range is said to rise out of the ground, high enough to shield against the cutting wind that otherwise rules supreme. Behind this natural occurring shelter is a grand lake with pristine water, heated by its desert surroundings.

It’s here on an island in the center of that lake, that a lost people are believed to live—a paradise of thriving fauna and wildlife. On occasion, someone has dared to venture out to confirm these rumors, but they have never returned.

Mounra

In the land of the dwarves, anarchy rules. It’s survival of the fittest, pushed to the extreme.

The dark caves beneath the great mountain line which dominates the northern region of Mounra houses three million Ember Dwarves. With a ferocious appetite born from their warm-blooded nature, the dwarves eat anything… even their dead.
To foreign ears, their language sounds harsh and aggressive. Perhaps this is why those with a lesser understanding of the dwarven culture assumes that the dwarves act this way because of hunger.

It’s not so!

Rather, the dwarves believe, that by eating the dead, they’ll absorb the person’s power and become stronger themselves.

Pyres Deep

At the bottom of a deep canyon and shielded from the hurricane-like winds that surrounds the second Rift lies Pyres Deep.

This city is the capital of the Ember Dwarves, although none of the tribes live here. They only return to its empty streets for the Conclave of Champions. Otherwise, Pyres Deep is a deserted ghost city.

Due to the dwarves’ dislike of daylight, the city stands permanently in the shadows of the tall mountains. The outer walls of Pyres Deep is made of black stone. However, the rock barrier is not there to protect against invaders. Ember Dwarves would welcome an attack from an outside force.

Instead, the wall is used as support for the tens-of-thousands of banners, showing the dwarves’ dedication to the dark Gods that they revere so deeply. When the Conclave of Champions convene, the cloth flags are replaced by those made of flayed skin.

Past the Gate of Champions, a wide straight passage leads to the arena where those who wish to challenge the champion attempting to claim the title of Wielder of Wrath can duel. This is the heart of the city and the arena dominates its profile with its tall tower in the middle. A bonfire is lit at the top of the tower for all to see, once the champion of champions, the Wielder of Wrath, has been declared.

Walking the streets of Pyres Deep is a claustrophobic experience. It’s a labyrinth of narrow streets, zigzagging not only in and out amongst each other, but also across the rooftops of buildings situated at a lower elevation. The capital of the Ember Dwarves is covered in snow and relatively deprived of daylight on most days of the year, which adds a dizzying effect to the layout of the streets – making them all appear the same, no matter which corner is turned.

As one maneuver around Pyres Deep, narrow channels are found in the ground, leading downward into the bowels of the earth. Down there, the tunnels range from enormous caves to narrow death traps. With a gentle push, a fellow dwarf can shove one of their kin down these ravines of unbearable stench. There the depths are alive with vermin, but worse are the oversized centipedes that won’t hesitate to swallow anything that comes their way.

Xasno

Xasno is nothing but a small corner of an enormous empire. At least if the White Elves who escaped the dwarven rampage centuries ago and escaped far south into the Sea of Ice is true. If not, Xasno is a bastian of the last elves on Alpha Magenta.

The five-hundred-thousand elves who live in this landscape consumed by winter are directed by the God Speaker, an ice-fiend, believed to have been born by the ancient Realm Wanderers. In an icy cave, beneath the Citadel of Far-Seeing, the God Speaker directs the elven assassins towards new targets. None except the Master Assassins and their handlers have seen the God Speaker, but it’s said to be close to ten feet in height with arms made of icicles.

The White Elves view themselves as the first and purest race in Alpha Magenta. However in the company of the God Speaker, they suddenly feel insignificant. One’s tongue will feel stiff from the cold emanated by the God Speaker, and the sound of the demon’s voice is supposedly as sharp as ice breaking off a glacier.

Assassination orders come in short burst, so cold that every word cuts straight into one’s bones and chills the spine.

The Citadel of Far-Seeing

The Citadel stands sentinel at the end of a long and wide peninsula that stretches into the Unsettled Sea. From here, the White Elves handle cargo on the ice-wretched docks, while keeping an eye on the world around them.

The Citadel is battered by stormy winds and icy rain. It also stands as the first line of defense against the Ember Dwarves. However, unless the dwarves, against all odds, unite under one Champion, the doings of the dwarves are of little concern to the elves. Once in a while, when an isolated force of dwarves driven by their aggressive nature appears in elven territory, they are dealt with swiftly.

Located across a narrower and turbulent straight between the mainland and a large island, the tower of the Watch Station rises high above the sea. This isolated outpost is essential to the elves, who use it as a means to keep tabs on the numerous ships leaving and arriving at the docks belonging to the Citadel of Far-Seeing, as well as a lookout post for the seadragons known as Niveen’s children.

Winter Keep

The only other city occupied by the White Elves is Winter Keep.

Situated at the bottom of a river valley near a massive waterfall, it just like the Citadel of Far-Seeing and the Watch Station has a tall spire located at its center. Shooting a lit arrow the hundred feet to the top will ignite a fire and warn the other locations of any looming danger.