Good question. Five Points is located along hundreds of square miles at the foothills of a small mountain range, spanning up the coast of New England, into Canada. There is a protective barrier, warding off humans from venturing into the valley and foothills, though it is only 50 miles or so out of the valley to reach the small, cold-water, coastal towns that they inhabit. It is safe to assume that your character has interacted with humans, but it is forbidden to have a relationship with them, or bring them into the valley.
Nearby towns may be visited to get supplies, purchase goods, or monitor the outside world. The nearest ones are Hampstead, Williamstown, and Covedale.
The valley itself has a handful of small businesses, much like any town in rural America. Want to learn more? Check out the fivepoints;world tag.
Magic in Five Points is tied to bloodline, which is why the covens have spent centuries hiding in plain sight. Their magic isn’t by blood alone, though: their power comes from their soul, and as such, souls are the most powerful thing in Five Points. Upon birth, each new child is warded by their elders to protect their soul, to guard against possession, and to ensure long life. The war has broken down some of those barriers, and possessions have occurred in recent history. This is an affront to their way of life, and a critical problem.
There is an element of learning to it. While raw magic resides in every magical soul, the ability to harness and deploy it is something that must be taught. Children are enrolled in an Academy after they have taken their Initiation Rites, where they learn the basics of alchemy, charms, curses, ritual, natural magic, and spells. Each Coven offers further study on the areas in which they excel, but these secrets are tightly guarded by coven.
Using magic always comes at an equal or greater price. For smaller spells, hexes, and the like, a witch may simply feel fatigued, or darken their aura. At the opposite end of the spectrum, larger spells, heavier magic, darker rituals may require more energy than one witch alone can manage -- or even a blood sacrifice.
Magic is cast using latin, and calling upon the forces of nature.
For example, a warlock may call upon the North Wind to bring an early winter to his rival’s doorstep, or a witch may ask Hecate for a blessing, to aid and guard her work.
There is one Academy in the valley, and all of-age warlocks and witches attend it for four days each week -- most typically after their initiation at 16. The fifth and sixth days are given to coven-specific practice. Graduation from the Academy is granted after four years of study, two years of apprenticeship to learn a trade, and the successful passing of a Trial set forth by the coven elders.
Most witches and warlocks graduate at age 22. The war has halted this study for four years, however, which means that if your character is between 18 and 22, they have not completed their studies.
All able-bodied witches and warlocks above the age of eighteen were eligible to be drafted into the war -- and by the end, that meant nearly all of them. War was fought throughout the valley, with small camps of soldiers spreading far and wide. Soldiers were scattered in groups of 6-12, and have spent the last several years fighting in small skirmishes and large battles.
These may have been fought with spellwork, incantations, rituals, or hand-to-hand combat as the situation merited it. Some are more adept than others with daggers, though wards and hexes made gunpowder a poor choice.
This is not a town RP and as such, there are no school soccer teams or coffee shops. Occupations are handed down by family, and treated as a learned trade. They may include:
Healers (those versed in medicinal magic)
Farmers (those able to make plants grow and feed the valley)
Merchants (those who are booksellers and the like)
Morticians (those who look after the dead and prepare for last rites)
Artists (those who make and sell goods; different from merchants in that they create their wares)
Potionmakers (those who deal in potions exclusively)
Teachers (those who work at the Academy)
etc! This is not a comprehensive list. If you have an idea, let us know!