The Geo-Political World of Lodan
Oct 21, 2014 21:13:41 GMT
Caitlin Cockfoster, Lone Bateleur, and 1 more like this
Post by Danny Ravensdale on Oct 21, 2014 21:13:41 GMT
The city of Lodan is located on an islands in the northern hemisphere of the world. Topographically the islands are mostly rocky, being made up of large mountains and plateaus. Areas of abundant fertility exist, however, and are generally located atop the plateaus and in the valleys that are formed between the differing elevations. A single powerful river, the Ires River, runs through the northern part of the main isle and runs south and west, away from the city of Lodan. It serves as a boundary between Lodan’s deep forest and the rest of the isle. Large swatches of green woodlands dot the landscape between rolling hills of green. The city of Lodan is in the south eastern edge of the island and placed upon a natural harbor. The shores are rocky with very few landing locations and even fewer places for large ships The weather of the island is dreary to say the least. It is often grey and overcast, and rains quite frequently. The winter months are long and cold, and a biting wind from the sea blows across the island all year round.
To the south west of Lodan lies the West Indies, a province of the City-States loyal to Lodan. It consist of a collection of small tropical islands that supply the monarchy's sugar trade. Historically the West Indies had a Tribal Despotism before it was abolished by the arrival and occupation of the Lodan Trade settlers. Now it is considered one of the many (albeit the furthest located) city-states of Lodan.
To the east of the island of Lodan lies the great continent of Arga. Two great countries dominate the continent’s northern areas. Sveden and Bulruch are neighbors, with the country of Sveden stretching across most of the upper portion of the continent. Bulruch lays claim to a much smaller, but less fertile area of land as its own. Both countries have an abundance of natural ores and their infrastructures are built on mining. Bulruchian military technology is more advanced than most other countries and serves as the only deterrent to the much larger country of Sveden. Bulruch is heavy stone and metal buildings, all utilitarian and functional. Their culture focuses on function over form. Bulruchian culture, after their recent civil war and the slaughter of the ruling family to pave the way for a political reformation into a socialist state, focuses on doing for the good of the country. The citizens toil for their government, which in turn provides for them. All men are equal in Bulruch, so they claim. But some men are more equal than others. Even though Anders have left Lodan to travel the world, they avoid Bulruch at all costs. The society views the Anderswelters as demons and has a security task force created and designed specifically to hunt down Anderswelters in their country.
Sveden, by contrast, focuses on the hard work of an individual. A state where officers hold more political power than the nobility of the area, anyone who wants to be anyone enlists. The military is open to all walks of life, and accepts any individual so long as they meet the strict qualifications necessary to pass through the first six weeks of enlistment. The first six weeks are taken up by a near spartan basic training regimen, with a failure rate of nearly sixty percent and a fatality rate of close to ten percent. The country itself is cold and harsh, made up of mostly mountains. The major settlements in Sveden are set deep in valleys with rivers and lakes fed by volcanic hot springs. The areas past, one of tectonic instability and volcanic activity, have led the valleys to be incredibly fertile areas where crops grow aplenty. The country of Sveden is actually the head of a large colonial empire, with payments coming in daily from their world spanning empire.
Below Bulruch and Sveden lies Tömörbata, a country of mountain and snow. The further south one goes, the less snow is met, and is instead replaced with spring time valleys. Here, nomadic peoples move across the land, migrating herds as they cross the ranges. There are few permanent settlements in these areas whose boundaries are limited if not nonexistent. Recently, there have been discoveries of some ruling tribes that have control over certain lands, however these tribes also tend to settle in these lands to maintain their control. In general, the people of Tömörbata are nomadic and tribal warriors, where both men and women fight. Yet, it is to note that their approach to matters of gender are different than that of many other countries. Gender means little, but instead social status is dependent on whether, it seems, people are “strong” or “weak.” This influences various cultural standards in the tribe and has still yet to be explored. Technology is primal, as the Tömörbatans travel light, however, they do not waste anything they use. Thus, their clothes are made from animal pelts, and tools are made from bone and fat.
Although the Mountain Tömörbatan’s are quite solidarity, along the coastline there are major cities of trade. However, the people who live in these cities are generally from foreign lands or Tömörbatans who have rejected their rural nomadic heritage. Once past the coastline and into the mountain ranges, jurisdiction and court of law established in these cities wanes.
To the north west of Lodan lies the four isles that make up Ca’alla. The people there live violent lives in constant weather patterns. Through a strange anomaly of nature and the feedback of the Ander portal first opening in Lodan, the ley-lines that cross Ca'alla have set each island into an eternity in one of the four seasons. Home to the Green Stag Beetle Bandits, Ca'alla has no neighboring allies and is under severe embargoes from all major and developed nations. The economy is sustained through the work of the bandits of Ca'alla, and the interactions the nation has with severely underdeveloped countries.
To the south of Arga is the country of Masaa. Masaa is flat, arid, and sandy. It’s lacking in much vegetation, though there is the River Khaar which runs through the lands leading to the ocean and to Lake Khaar. Outside of the River Khaar the only other source of water is an oasis deep in the desert. As a result, many small villages dot the river, roughly a day or two away from each other. Where the river eventually meets the sea is where it is widest, creating the Khaar River Delta. In the middle of the swamp-like delta is the naval city of Haliel, where most boats come from. The city is poor with few roads, bridges, and connecting structures. Because of this, most transportation is done by water. Moving through the city is intricate and difficult. Despite being one of the most important cities, the buildings are short, to accommodate the marshy grounds they are built upon. On the other end where Lake Khaar is, however, the civilization is more cultured and vibrant. The area around the lake is one of green, and is vibrant with the thrum of life. Unlike the simple purposes served by the city of Haliel, Khaliel is constructed on a far grander scale, with numerous districts built around it to function as miniature cities in and of themselves. The buildings are grand in their architecture, with soaring towers and intricately carved engravings covering their stonework.
To the south west of Lodan lies the West Indies, a province of the City-States loyal to Lodan. It consist of a collection of small tropical islands that supply the monarchy's sugar trade. Historically the West Indies had a Tribal Despotism before it was abolished by the arrival and occupation of the Lodan Trade settlers. Now it is considered one of the many (albeit the furthest located) city-states of Lodan.
To the east of the island of Lodan lies the great continent of Arga. Two great countries dominate the continent’s northern areas. Sveden and Bulruch are neighbors, with the country of Sveden stretching across most of the upper portion of the continent. Bulruch lays claim to a much smaller, but less fertile area of land as its own. Both countries have an abundance of natural ores and their infrastructures are built on mining. Bulruchian military technology is more advanced than most other countries and serves as the only deterrent to the much larger country of Sveden. Bulruch is heavy stone and metal buildings, all utilitarian and functional. Their culture focuses on function over form. Bulruchian culture, after their recent civil war and the slaughter of the ruling family to pave the way for a political reformation into a socialist state, focuses on doing for the good of the country. The citizens toil for their government, which in turn provides for them. All men are equal in Bulruch, so they claim. But some men are more equal than others. Even though Anders have left Lodan to travel the world, they avoid Bulruch at all costs. The society views the Anderswelters as demons and has a security task force created and designed specifically to hunt down Anderswelters in their country.
Sveden, by contrast, focuses on the hard work of an individual. A state where officers hold more political power than the nobility of the area, anyone who wants to be anyone enlists. The military is open to all walks of life, and accepts any individual so long as they meet the strict qualifications necessary to pass through the first six weeks of enlistment. The first six weeks are taken up by a near spartan basic training regimen, with a failure rate of nearly sixty percent and a fatality rate of close to ten percent. The country itself is cold and harsh, made up of mostly mountains. The major settlements in Sveden are set deep in valleys with rivers and lakes fed by volcanic hot springs. The areas past, one of tectonic instability and volcanic activity, have led the valleys to be incredibly fertile areas where crops grow aplenty. The country of Sveden is actually the head of a large colonial empire, with payments coming in daily from their world spanning empire.
Below Bulruch and Sveden lies Tömörbata, a country of mountain and snow. The further south one goes, the less snow is met, and is instead replaced with spring time valleys. Here, nomadic peoples move across the land, migrating herds as they cross the ranges. There are few permanent settlements in these areas whose boundaries are limited if not nonexistent. Recently, there have been discoveries of some ruling tribes that have control over certain lands, however these tribes also tend to settle in these lands to maintain their control. In general, the people of Tömörbata are nomadic and tribal warriors, where both men and women fight. Yet, it is to note that their approach to matters of gender are different than that of many other countries. Gender means little, but instead social status is dependent on whether, it seems, people are “strong” or “weak.” This influences various cultural standards in the tribe and has still yet to be explored. Technology is primal, as the Tömörbatans travel light, however, they do not waste anything they use. Thus, their clothes are made from animal pelts, and tools are made from bone and fat.
Although the Mountain Tömörbatan’s are quite solidarity, along the coastline there are major cities of trade. However, the people who live in these cities are generally from foreign lands or Tömörbatans who have rejected their rural nomadic heritage. Once past the coastline and into the mountain ranges, jurisdiction and court of law established in these cities wanes.
To the north west of Lodan lies the four isles that make up Ca’alla. The people there live violent lives in constant weather patterns. Through a strange anomaly of nature and the feedback of the Ander portal first opening in Lodan, the ley-lines that cross Ca'alla have set each island into an eternity in one of the four seasons. Home to the Green Stag Beetle Bandits, Ca'alla has no neighboring allies and is under severe embargoes from all major and developed nations. The economy is sustained through the work of the bandits of Ca'alla, and the interactions the nation has with severely underdeveloped countries.
To the south of Arga is the country of Masaa. Masaa is flat, arid, and sandy. It’s lacking in much vegetation, though there is the River Khaar which runs through the lands leading to the ocean and to Lake Khaar. Outside of the River Khaar the only other source of water is an oasis deep in the desert. As a result, many small villages dot the river, roughly a day or two away from each other. Where the river eventually meets the sea is where it is widest, creating the Khaar River Delta. In the middle of the swamp-like delta is the naval city of Haliel, where most boats come from. The city is poor with few roads, bridges, and connecting structures. Because of this, most transportation is done by water. Moving through the city is intricate and difficult. Despite being one of the most important cities, the buildings are short, to accommodate the marshy grounds they are built upon. On the other end where Lake Khaar is, however, the civilization is more cultured and vibrant. The area around the lake is one of green, and is vibrant with the thrum of life. Unlike the simple purposes served by the city of Haliel, Khaliel is constructed on a far grander scale, with numerous districts built around it to function as miniature cities in and of themselves. The buildings are grand in their architecture, with soaring towers and intricately carved engravings covering their stonework.