Rastemier

Culture

Prior to the Shunning of the Magicks, Rastemier was the domain of an Elven empire. It was here that the ageless immortal Ferithisia lived with her children, from the Dawning through the Age of Ascension. During the Age of Ascension, the Way of the Pure rose to power in Sardia. Eventually consolidating power and becoming the Theocracy of Ressik. During the Vedrischtal and into the Shunning of the Magicks, the Theocracy waged wars across the continent. While the Elves lived on in their other cities throughout Orn, the empire was no more.

Many attempts to tame the wilderness of Rastemier over the ages have ended in ruin. Earthquakes, floods, plagues, wildfires, and other natural disasters have claimed many cities that budded too quickly, leaving Rastemier an expanse of verdant splendor pockmarked with ruins. Many believe the land itself resists the incursion of civilization, that living in Rastemier comes at the price of vigilance, restraint, and blood.

Language

Though the Elven empire is no more, Velysh is still a common language throughout Rastemier. Cirth is spoken in Skane, and Velysh is common as well. The smallfolk of Blackstone speak Durnamn, though it is little heard elsewhere. Though less used than other languages, many have at least a passing knowledge of Steric; a result of Theocracy incursions during the Vedrischtal. Jomptland is an exception, where the occupying Sardians insist on the use of Steric. Within the Wolvergreen Takral is more common, though the werewolves also use their own methods of communication, unknown to outsiders. In more isolated areas, languages of lost civilizations have begun to intermix with others over time, resulting in speech that can be difficult for outsiders to understand.

Demographics

Rastemier is a place filled with danger, mystery, and treasure. Unsurprisingly, it attracts no small number of adventurers seeking gold and glory. This leads to a diverse collection of races, especially around Skane. Elves are common throughout Rastemier, though they prefer their isolation and will defend both the wilds of Rastemier and the ruins of their fallen empire against any who would defile them. Ferals, especially mau, are common in the lands West of the Forbidding Wood. Homunculi are employed by the plantations of Jomptland, while gnomes are the dominant race in Blackstone. Races with an especially strong affinity to nature, particularly the Sylvan (Dryads, Elves, Fauns) and Sprites (Efreet, Oread, Sylph, and Undine), can be found throughout Rastemier.

Politics

Though not a political body in the common sense, the Eldren Enclave's influence stretches throughout Rastemier. The druids rarely make their presence known outside the turning of the seasons, when they update the edicts. Even the Sardians of Jomptland dare not ignore the edicts given by the Eldren Enclave.

Dangerous travel, untamed wilderness, and sparse populations prevent most settlements from interacting enough to coordinate any regional government. As such, the real power lies in the Spanner's Guild, a venerable association of adventurers who protect the citizens and keep the peace. From exploration to monster hunting to guarding caravans, little goes on in Skane and the surrounding area that is not touched in some way by the Spanner's Guild.

Immortals

Among the adventurers of Skane, the Company of Seven maintains a strong following, people looking for fame, fortune, and glory in the wilds and forgotten ruins. Arkrist is especially popular among members of the Spanner's Guild. Muralakrum is revered among those who live in the Wolvergreen. Loreyza is well known throughout the wilds, while the elves still revere Ferithisia. Drathenix and Hexadus once had large followings in the fallen empires East of the Forbidding Wood, and there are still some who follow the old ways. More than any immortal, the people of Rastemier revere nature itself; for the wilds of Rastemier are both beautiful and terrifying.

Areas

• The Forbidding Wood - Bounded on the east by the Abier's Run river and on the south by the city of Ingra, the trees of the Forbidding Wood are tall, dark, and dense; creating a canopy that blocks out much of the sunlight, even at midday. The undergrowth is full of briars and thorns, and there are few trails to speak of, to say nothing of proper roads. More than one adventurer from the Spanner's Guild has had their story cut short after becoming lost in the woods.
• The Wolvergreen - The Wolvergreen refers to the forest east of the Abier's Run river; encompassing Skane, Alvensborg, and extending into Tarkalsys and Sardia. The forest seems peaceful enough; the brush is sparse, the trees are healthy and numerous, but not so thick you can't see or walk between them. There are no roads to speak of, but there are some hunting trails that make walking easier and finding your way less trackless. It is generally considered safe to travel through the Wolvergreen; so long as you don't venture too far east...
• Skane - A friendly, albeit rustic, frontier town. The broad dirt streets show few ruts, but fair horse and foot traffic. A variety of buildings, mostly wooden but of varying architectural styles and age, are concentrated near a modest port. An old temple stands at the border of a cemetery far too large for a town of this size, while an ancient tree stands in the town square across from a three-story guild house.
• Skane: Spanner's Guild - The sign above this three-story stone building depicts a bridge upon a shield with a staff and sword crossing behind. The guild registers and regulates Spanner groups in the area. It's possible for adventurers to find work without registering, but all official work in the area goes through the guild and, from the looks of the guild house and the groups inside, those jobs are quite lucrative.
• Skane: Temple of the Crossing - [This lore is still being studied]
• Giant's Wood - [This lore is still being studied]
• Trandheim - [This lore is still being studied]
• Lutzen - [This lore is still being studied]
• Konigsberg - [This lore is still being studied]
• Zupton - [This lore is still being studied]
• Ingra - [This lore is still being studied]
• Jomptland - The city of Jomptland owes its existence to the fallen empires of Rastemier as well as its extensive fields and plantations. Adventurers and archaeologists, some more reputable than others, often begin and end their expeditions here; while equally reputable shops offer both genuine and fake artifacts of the fallen empires. The extensive plantations, most notably the Dorimemor Plantation, are largely manned by cheap homunculi laborers, and Poppy Verdt is one of the major exports.
• Alvensborg - [This lore is still being studied]
• Blackstone - In the mountains southeast of Ingra, the mining town of Blackstone was almost abandoned before its founding. It was only the discovery of several rich veins of ore at the end of the Ingra Trail that convinced the original settlers to stay. Now the town is completely owned by the Thorne Mining Consortium, and is more akin to a fortress than a frontier town. A vast number of shanty houses are built against the inner walls, and a large obelisk of lodestone sits in the center of a plaza, facing a three story administration building. Smoke hangs heavy in the air all hours of the day and night, and more than a few incidents have occurred that show the wilds of Rastemier do not welcome the miners.

Mysteries

• The Varn - The Varn are very old denizen of the wilds. Given the overt actions of nature in the wilds of Rastemier, many assume the Varn are yet another form of nature incarnate. In truth, while the Varn resemble great, massive trees given humanoid features; there is not significant evidence that they are akin to elementals in any fashion. They regard humanoids with curious indifference, the way a farmer might consider a stray cat; so long as they don't grow too numerous or start trouble, they're harmless enough. The Varn, while typically apathetic towards humanoids, are very protective of the woods they call home, and will protect them.
• The Weeper - A clap of thunder is all the warning you receive before a sudden storm envelops you. As you blink away the rain from your eyes, a figure stands before you; its features concealed beneath a heavy, oilskin cloak and a hood decorated with a single deer horn. The Weeper is an ancient and powerful druid who was driven to despair long ago. He appears at random, speaks cryptically, and is generally regarded as an omen of impending tragedy. Whether he causes misfortune or simply knows when it will occur is unclear.
• Tooqi - Spanners speak of a forest cat with long, black-and-white-striped fur. It regards people with an intelligence well beyond any normal animal, which it confirms when it opens its mouth to speak in a mewling voice. Tooqi is a familiar to an unknown wizard; he is magically barred from speaking about his master or his master's business except when he is on an errand, and only to impart the minimum information needed to complete the errand. He ventures out into the wilderness and into Skane the way a house cat might venture into its front yard, owing largely to a series of magical tricks that make him nigh invincible if he is threatened. Sometimes he is on business, but sometimes he ventures out on his own, much to the irritation of his master. Like most cats, Tooqi is nonchalant, lazy, and slightly condescending, but curious to a fault and friendly to anyone who offers him creature comforts. He always disappears during a fight, but may assist adventurers in other ways, such as by imparting some of the substantial magical lore he possesses.
• The Stained Rocks - Several sites throughout Rastemier host such sites, but the most well known is atop a lonely hill southeast of Skane. Several stone steps lead up to a roughly flat area, upon which a large stone altar sits. Crude, heavy, rusted manacles and shackles are embedded into the four corners of the flat stone altar, large enough to hold most humanoids. The stone itself, and the ground around, are stained a crimson so dark it's almost black. The stained rock is an ancient tradition in Rastemier; though its original purpose is largely lost to time. In Skane, rather than face a public execution, criminals are brought to the stone on nights of the full moon and left chained as an offering to the wild. This has the effect of keeping the wild at bay and simultaneously deterring serious crimes.
• Trees of Edicts - Throughout Rastemier, most often near humanoid settlements, and most notably in the center of town in Skane, and the port of Jomptland, stand ancient trees with thick, squat boughs. Green, glowing runes are carved into the trunk of the tree; they are written in magical script so that anyone, regardless of knowledge or language, understands them. The words on the Trees of Edicts are changed at the turning of each season when a different druid from the Eldren Enclave is placed in power. During the autumn of 5732 NB, on the Tree of Edicts in Skane, they read:"
  • By these edicts does the Eldren Enclave make known its peace upon the citizens of Skane. Hear our laws and honor them:
  • No tree within the Forbidding Wood may be felled or burnt.
  • No boar may be hunted, killed, or consumed.
  • All owners of land must provide three bushels of grain or corn from their autumn harvest, to be used for the lean winter ahead.
  • All parentless elven children must be brought before the Enclave, to be raised as druids.
  • One life must be offered upon the Stained Rock before season's end."
• The edicts of the Eldren Enclave are treated as being of utmost importance, and will often be adopted in place of any other laws if they are in conflict. Even the most lawless people of Rastemier do not view the edicts lightly.
• [Ruins] - [This lore is still being studied]
• [Elven Kingdom] - [This lore is still being studied]
• [Werewolves] - [This lore is still being studied]
• [Baevern Empire] - [This lore is still being studied]
• [Mitzon Empire] - [This lore is still being studied]
• Spanner's Guild - The Spanner's Guild of Skane registers and regulates all official adventuring groups and work in the area. In order to register, a group must have at least four members, be combat capable, be vouched for by a respected citizen, and swear an oath to keep the peace and rally to the town's defense in times of need. Those recognized receive a wooden mark of their rank corresponding to their rank along with the ability to accept appropriate work: a Rowan Fox, an Ash Wolf, an Oak Bear, a Willow Lion, and a Celderwood Dragon.
• Poppy Verdt - Poppy Verdt is an offshoot of Dryft, made by careful cultivation over generations. Real Dryft only grows on the island of Poulo, in Rica. While Poppy Verdt can be cultivated in other regions, it does not provide the true benefits of Dryft, but still produces a similar enough high, and has all the negatives involved in processing it. Consuming raw Poppy Verdt, or even handling it, rapidly drives a person insane.

Parlance

•  - [This lore is still being studied]