Aldinor

Subject: Aldinor Fri Feb 28, 2014 9:33 pm

"Culture, capital and commerce. You couldn't wish for a finer place."

Quote :: A nation inhabited in equal parts by the many cultures of the world, Aldinor is for many the capital of the westernmost continent. Its land rises and falls with rocky outcrops, hills and mountains, and an array of wide rivers suitable for sailing commerce carve their way through the land. In summer, it blooms with both life and colour, and in winter it falls prey to a cold wind blowing southwards from the frozen lands of Ostia. The constant activity that takes place within, however, never rests unless hindered by the fiercest weather. Trade caravans work tirelessly for profit, either by way of a highly developed network of trademark paved cobblestone roads or by the increasingly popular method of sailing ships downriver into expanding ports.

Aldinor is governed by a handful of regional governments contributing to a larger legislative body of representatives forming a council. Through that council, the policies and laws of the realm are decided upon during yearly gatherings in the capital. Each region of Aldinor contributes a number of representatives to best secure that region's interest, with no limit in candidates save for the wealth of the province and the willingness to invest a greater amount of coin into such political matters. Semi-democratic at best, the council works much like the country itself - where money and influence dictate almost everything.

Bordering the wild expanses of the Savage Lands, Aldinor is home to a wall stretching from the coast to the mountain ranges running parallel to Leoben.

Renari exemplifies the type of riverside town seen throughout Aldinor.

Quote :: From the city of Lyra in the north, to the coastal fortress town of Olvina, Aldinor is a heavily colonised land. Countless towns and villages lie scattered throughout, settlements flourishing off of the plentiful resources naturally offered, and as such the nation's agricultural export is one of the primary reasons it holds an unchallenged economic power. All from across the world choose to make their home here, whether it be in search of fortune or otherwise, and it stands as the most densely populated nation with no shortage of landmass to occupy.

In Aldinor, the head of a village is known as a reeve, and the head of the town is known as a governor. Cities are administrated by prominent lords.

Humans are no more dominant in number than elves or dwarves, and a good population of the world's younger races also find themselves filtering into the nation. There is very little stigma against outsiders, at least as far as legality concerns itself, and the open nature of the country as a whole allows a certain level of freedom above any other. This is not to say the nation is without its bigotry, however, as the huge volume of traffic inevitably brings those of a soured mind.

Though built to last, the grand wall between Aldinor and the Savage Lands has eroded over time to leave a number of huge gaps known as 'breaches'.

Quote :: Over thirty feet tall, and carefully watched by a dedicated, vigilant and thoroughly trained force of all races known as the Guard, the wall is a prominent landmark for the nation and has over time become known as the Aegis. It features key designs harkening to old Aldinorian architecture, with a number of cultural influences added over time, and is constructed primarily out of resilient Ostian whitestone though its signature shine has long since eroded.

Around five breaches sit vulnerably in the wall, with a sixth under urgent repairs. The best soldiers serving the Aldinorian Guard find themselves stationed at each of these massive collapses in the wall, ready and awaiting any incursion by either beast or wild man.

It is currently unknown as to how the breaches sprung up with such a small gap in between each collapse, but it is currently being investigated to the best of Aldinor's ability. At the very first incidence of the Aegis giving way a number of creatures made their way into the country, burning a number of villages to the ground before being intercepted and slain by the Guard.