Arkhdrauth

THE C O U N T R Y & C A P I T A L:

Daear, the name of the country, is an island nation about the size of the United Kingdom. It has four seasons, with the weather being naturally colder in the north and warmer in the south.

The capital, situated in the center of the country, is known as Carmarthen. Once a sprawling kingdom, due the the king's poor health and old age it is now run by a council of men selected by the royal family and elected by the people themselves to rule over the capital and at times, the country as well. However, if needed, the king has the final say.

Carmarthen is made up of three districts: the high district, where the elite and noble families live; the poor district, where the workers and the like live; and the merchant district, that sits between both. There are other districts within those, separated by noble/elite or elf/dwarf/human as well, and each is represented in the council.

The knights of Carmarthen act as both warriors in times of war, as well as enforcers of the law. Any man can become a knight, regardless of which district they're from or what race they are. However, it is mostly made up of human knights. Those who choose to join the knights join young, as squires, and train under a higher-ranking knight until they can test to earn their rank. The captain of the Knights oversees this all, and also sits on the council.

Carmarthen also sees a lot of import, as it isn't a port city. Carts and wagons enter the capital at all times of day to drop off anything from material to food to supplies. However, it also exports a lot of supplies to the surrounding, smaller cities and villages as well. Given the success of the sprawling merchant district, supplies and the like are far less expensive then what could be purchased elsewhere in the country.


THE P E O P L E:

Daear is a country with a number of different races.

Humans: the largest population in Daear, humans live in villages and the cities.

Elves: the second largest population, elves primarily live in villages and cities built by their own hands. While they get along well enough with most other races, there is still some tension between them and humans, due to war hundreds of years ago. They are tall, humanoid creatures with long ears and fair skin and hair, who are considered immortal for their long lifespans.

Dwarves: Short, humanoid creatures who average around 4 feet in height. Men are characterized by their thick, long beards. Dwarves live in small villages hidden across the countryside, with much of the village itself being underground. They're well-known for their skill in crafting ale.

Dragonborns/Draconians: creatures with dragon-like features, they are "created" one of two ways; either through birth, or through a magical ritual involving black magic. They are rumored to live across the sea, but have taken to building small villages along the coastline in recent years.

Half-elves: Humanoid creatures who have both an elven and a human parent. Due to past tensions between humans and elves, half-elves are seen as monsters or abominations. Due to their heritage, they can pass visually as either human or elf, though their ears are notably smaller than an elf's, but larger than a human's. They tend to live in villages hidden in the forests to avoid persecution.


THE M A G I C

Magic in Daear is as diverse as its people, though not often used outside of healing. Almost every single living being has the potential to learn, as well as has their own energy to draw from. Though in order to be able to cast magic, one has to study the spells and the methods, on top of practicing the spells. In other words, no one can instantly become a wizard. It takes hard work and a lot of training, and children who wish to take those paths have to begin at a young age if they wish to master their magic.

The different types of magic are classified as "systems", and there are numerous kinds available to numerous kinds of people. Humans, elves, dwarves, dragonborns, and other races have their own, exclusive systems of magic. Priests, healers, monks, druids, clerics, and so forth also have their own systems known as clas systems. There is magic that also falls outside of the two, those being holy and dark magic, but there are limitations on both.

For example, humans are the most versatile of the races in Daear. Not only do they have their own system (magic that draws on one's own energies), they're capable of becoming any of the above mentioned "classes". There is no limit on the type of magic they learn as long as it isn't exclusive to another race.

Elves, on the other hand, while oftentimes limited to their own system (magic that draws on nature), the magic they're able to cast is highly modifiable. What that means is that if one has the skill, one can craft a spell of their own, or change an existing spell to better suit their needs.

Half-elves are also versatile; by being both human and elvish blood, they're capable of casting magic from both the human and elvish systems. In other words, half-elves are able to draw from two sources of energies. However, they're also heavily limited in magic outside of that. Half-elves cannot cast holy magic, and dark magic is poisonous to them.

Mastering one's magic takes time, and is an ongoing process. When one masters a spell, what it really means is that one can cast that spell without speaking in the incantation that goes with it. It is fairly easy to master basic spells, such as low-level healing and offensive spells, but more complicated magic will often take years, and very few can claim to have done so.