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Setting: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 primary areas are all relatively close together; equidistant from the neutral city of Haven, wherein all races may mingle and interact. The Empyreans dwell in their Civitas Dei, a "city of the gods" that hovers above Haven through some long-ago magic. Though they have other 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 landbound 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 above-ground 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 moreso. 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. And finally, 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 as it was when they came into it, untouched. 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. TThe one place where all races, factions, and castes may interact freely is the city that has become known as "Haven." Once, it was no more than a cluster of buildings gathered around the Delphic Citadel -- the "school" wherein novice mages could learn to utilize and control their powers. But because Delphi was neutral and open to all the races, so too was the territory around it, and in time that small cluster of buildings grew into a sprawling metropolis that is renowned all across Aether, boasting half a million citizens. Originally, the city was called "Delphi," after the Order around which it had been built. But the name "Haven" -- aptly chosen since it came to be known as a "sanctuary" from the governments of the other races -- eventually stuck. And although the city was founded on magic, it has become home to the largest population of mongrels, outcasts, and halfbreeds. Haven is run by a city council made up of five chosen representatives; one from each of the four racial governments, along with the Seneschal of Delphi. Their responsibilities are many, including amending, eradicating, and creating new laws for the city, negotiating treaties, and maintaining the constitution of Haven. Their laws are enforced by the city guard, nicknamed the "Hounds" by Haven's citizens, who act as a police force, militia, and impromptu "court," presided over by their Archon. While the members of the council are chosen by the different racial governments, so that they will each have an equal "voice" in the city, the residents of the various embassies within Haven are expected to abide by the city's laws. Please read the news files on each race for more information, as well as the section for Haven's Local Help. Also see the Maps of the Known World by Luna@Aether for the, well, maps of the known world. Riva has a map of Haven which is specific to the city.
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