Aether II: News

The world of Aether is not unlike our own, though it is untainted by the ravages of technology and pollution. Imagine instead our Earth of about five hundred years ago, when the New World was first discovered and stories of a veritable Eden filtered back to lure men and women overseas in search of gold, freedom, or a second chance. How magnificent that untouched paradise must have looked to them; with trees reaching to the sky, forests bountiful with game and resources, and vast, open plains stretching to the very horizon. Beautiful and rugged, that wilderness of half a millennium ago is not lost; its dream lives on here, nourished by magic and populated by beings of myth and legend.

Aether boasts four main realms for each of its races. Though other cities and territories exist -- for this world is as vast and varied as our own -- the available areas are all relatively close together; they are convenient to the bridge known as the Pons Pactum between Parnassus and Irha-Esh, a place where all races may mingle and interact.

The Empyrean capital is Civitas Dei, a "city of the gods" that hovers in the sky through some long-ago magic. Though they have other major cities scattered across the realm, none are quite so grand as the home of their Emperor and the meeting-place of the Aegis. And not only is it the seat of their government, but their center for art, music, and literature as well. Few of their land-bound brethren have ever stepped foot in the floating city, but those that have give lavish accounts of a pristine, gleaming metropolis fashioned from white marble and dazzling enough to rival the sun itself.

The underwater home of the Atlanteans is no less impressive. Legend says that Atlantis was once one of the greatest cities on Earth, a cultural Mecca of art and invention ruled by a decemvirate of ten kings. Traces of its former aboveground state still exist, for what use would a sea-dwelling race have of ornate stairways or paved roads?

Atlantis combines the best of land and sea, and those who have visited say that it features lush, underwater gardens and splendid buildings decked with coral, pearls, and shells. Though the sea-race may roam as far as the oceans can reach, their colonies are few, and none compare to the grandeur of Atlantis.

While the Empyreans claim the heavens and the Atlanteans the sea, the Varati live underground, in the fiery "heart" of the earth. Some might think their realm harsh and forbidding, alienated as it is from the light of the sun. Yet their palaces are just as grand as any above the earth's surface, if not more so. Crystals, gold, jewels, silver, copper... all these are theirs for the taking, to decorate the opulent structures they've built from metal and stone. Long ago, they discovered the secret of forging, and ever since they've been the master builders and craftsmen of this world.

The Sylvans lay claim to what is left -- the forests and fields, and their "kingdom" is the land itself. They have no grand temples or palaces save the quiet beauty of a secluded grove, or the awe-inspiring view on a windy hilltop. The Sylvans are taught to leave the earth untouched and unmarked by their presence. They take only what the land provides, and their reverence is not measured by the size or magnificence of a temple that will weather the centuries. The earth is their "house of worship" and all its creatures -- from the beasts of the air to the smallest of plants struggling for life in the forest -- are meant to be honored and respected.

The last are almost always considered the least in the many nations of Aether. Mongrels and Halfbreeds, the outcasts of society, have no place of their own in its many lands. They exist on the sufferance of the 'pure' races, eking out a living where they may. An outcast's life is a hard one, but even they have been known to rise to prominence in a world where anything may happen.

When the Empyrean/Varati War ended, one of the stipulations of the Peace Treaty was that the two races share Parnassus, the only city that persevered against Varati attack. They agreed, but it was fairly evident that it wasn't going to be an easy thing to uphold. There were border skirmishes almost constantly, and it was clear that the treaty was not going to last very long if this continued. After considerable deliberation, the land north of the Bay was gifted to the Varati, who quickly moved to make it their own, calling their city Irha-Esh, or "City of Fire." Somewhat precariously situated, Irha-Esh is a city-state; Varati land in the midst of Empyrean Edessa. Its proximity to the Varati border to the north protects it, as there is always the threat that the Varati nation may wish to push its border south to the river.

These twin cities of Parnassus and Irha-Esh are very much a major center of trade and their inhabitants reflect that. Social mores seem more relaxed, the restrictive codes of each race still in place, and yet often overlooked for the sake of profit. Invested as they are in the area, every single race has a very good reason to remain and maintain the peace. Tensions run high, and may outbreak into violence. But outright war is never good for profit.

Sylvans were originally enticed to the Parnassus area to help in the rebuilding, or rather in the repair of the injury done to the land by the ravages of war. More than inclined to do so, many Sylvans that may not have fit with their tribe for one reason or another (too many hunters, conflicts in personality, a strong desire to see the land Healed, and a host of other reasons) gathered in the area. Ties of mutual interest forged them into a young tribe, the Mohononeo. Bound much closer to the city than many other tribes, the Mohononeo maintain lands upriver of the twin cities, but are often seen within the more settled lands.

Atlanteans, too, saw much opportunity in the rebuilding of Parnassus and the founding of its sister-city in Irha-Esh. They negotiated for the island in the center of the river known to the Empyreans as the Insula Garum. The Atlanteans turned this spit of land into a small holding for their people, while also inhabiting the bay. They have a vested interest in keeping the bay accessible and have been known to dredge and maintain its waters to further trades. They are not altogether peaceful and when members of their race were illegally taken as slaves by some of the earlier residents of the area, the Atlanteans took a firm stance to protect not only their own but the Sylvans as well.

In the midst of all the claims of the various races is the Pons Pactum. Originally, the bridge was a small thing, allowing for carts to pass from Parnassus to the north side of the river to carry trade to northern Edessa. Destroyed in the war, what grew in its place bore little resemblance to the small arch that connected the southern and northern banks. Now, the Pons Pactum is a marvel in itself, almost large enough to hold a small town on its impressive breadth. Here, the "neutral " party of the Bridge Guild has gained a foothold. Comprised of all races, the Guild moderates trade on the bridge, collecting taxes and seeing them properly allocated to both the Varati and the Empyrean sides. They rigidly, and fairly, control any merchants that choose to set up shop in this profitable territory.

For more on the guild, see "news bridge"

Not all people fit into neat categories of race and nation. To see more information on those that may fall outside the public and accepted castes of society, please read "news mixed" and "news factions".