Setting // General Overview
The verse is set in an alternative fantasy world with steam punk elements. Magic and technology are combined in these wide lands with its mountains and hills, lakes and rivers, meadows and the ocean bordering the continent. Losely seperated into different countries - three big ones and a few small, shattered electorates and private lands, anyone can find their place in this world, if they seek to find it.
The country up in the North is strong on iron and mechanics, feeding off the different ores from the mountains they are bordering.
The country in the South East covers a wide part of the coast line, living off trade and fishing as well as being known for their realistic and stark attitude towards the world.
The country in the South West, which covers a smaller mountain area on its border to the South East, is a land of endless green forests and magic.
Each of these countries possesses a capital as well as two or three other big and well known cities and many little villages. There is one town located exactly where all three countries meet, and it's neutral territory.
Most people live in any of the cities or villages, though a bigger part of the overall population is located in the latter, since these are the only places shielded from the foreign lands and creatures outside. Almost no town comes without a high, guarded wall around it, to protect its inhabitants from attacks of humans and beasts alike. The people have arranged themselves with these circumstances though and learned to live with it. Since most of the beasts are not neccessarily dangerous during the day, depending on the region you are even able to leave the town to collect some herbs in the fields, if you're brave enough.
There is a variety of jobs one can earn their living with, starting with simple farmers and mechanics, moving to different kinds of craftsmanship and art including tavern maidens, dancers, sewers, blacksmiths, engeneers, teachers and scholars, guards, soldiers, up to guild leaders and magicians. Of course there are many more, some of them also breaking law and going around as thieves, assassins or other dubious business men.
People pay each other in goods as well as in gold, silver and copper coins which are different for each country but can me used in all of them.
Some found or join guilds.
Guns, steam powered machines and clockworks as well as a range of other mechanical inventions can be found all over the continent. Except for a very slow, old and rusty steam powered train crossing all three countries and some rare steam powered airships though, any means of transportation include either horses, other beasts or your own two feet.
Engeneers and scholars mostly focus on inventing machines to aid economy and improve work conditions. The lands are far from any industrial revolution though.
Even though there are three kings officially ruling the three countries, most people don't take much notice of their presence. The major cities rule themselves with a mix of politicians, high business men, magicians and scholars having the most power depending on the place. Little villages are often attached to a bigger town or put together in an arrangement of their neighbourhood, sharing the same laws and governors.
Aside from these though, some of the bigger guilds tend to influence the politics in certain areas if they please. The Northern country's capital, for instance, is mostly ruled by a guild consisting of mechanics and engeneers. Especially the war and magic guilds hold quite some power over their respective territories though.
Next to humans, a load of other different creatures and species inhabit this world, some harmless, some dangerous. Looking like strange alternate versions of the animals we know in the real world, there are six legged deers, giant rabbits, colourful birds, strange, furless but scaled wild cats and many more that can be found out in the wilds, in the air, in the water and land. One can also find some supernatural beasts our world only knows from fairytales - such as sphinx, fairies, sirens, the phoenix, and, most importantly, dragons.
Dragons are beasts of great intelligence and rarity, able to take or inherit human form and capable of communicating with fellow dragons as well as humans, if they want to. Needless to say, they are very powerful
People can fight with anything, really. Guns, swords, daggers, axes, staffs, poison, elemental magic, ritual magic, their bare fists - there is barely any limit to the kind of fighter you might train to be. Of course, given that you have somebody teaching you, unless you want to learn all these things all by yourself.
Not everyone in this world is capable of combat and most civilians rely on the guards and trained soldiers to protect their homes if necessary. However, many guilds are known to be put together entirely for battle, wether it is against any beasts, enemy attackers or to exploring the dangerous untouched spots in the mountains or the deep forests in the West.
Most fighters specialise on a field like sword fighting or hand to hand combat though, getting together with other people of different skill to add to their power. There are sword fighters, assassins, paladins, gunners, archers and of course magicians, cleriks and priests. However, magic is something only few people are capable of, since it is incredibly hard to learn and requires talent as well as hard work and a steady mind for long studies. The ability to heal is something you are born with though, something that cannot be aquired through training alone.
There are many types of different guilds for different purposes and jobs. Guilds of different crafts, farmers or soldiers aren't uncommon, though most of them only play a role for their direct community since they are small and unknown. They discuss work conditions, private issues of their members with each other, and may also act as political parties. A guild needs to consist of at least 4 members and 1 leader.
Let's get to the really interesting part though: The battle guilds.
Battle or Fighting guilds can consist of either a very diverse range of differently skilled people or one type of warrior only - like sword fighting guilds or magician guilds. While some of them work for certain cities and governments or even the kings, most of them are free to do as they please and often stick to a certain territory in which they can control most anything depending on their power - laws, trade, economy, the safety of whole towns..
Teiko, for example, was a rather powerful guild despite the young age of its members until about a year ago, when it dissolved for still unknown reasons.
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