-History of the Seas- Written by Gustav Lightfoot from the Maltan trade commission. Ahoy there, swabbie. Think ye have it in ye to sail these seas, do ye? Well, think again. Before ye decide to set sail around this world, there's some points I have to press upon. While I can't give up EVERYTHING in this little pamphlet, I've got to make sure ye know at least as much as the common folk do around here. So if there's any points ye missed upon in your education, ye'd best catch it here. Hope ye find this information helpful. ~Gustav Lightfoot~ -Geography- As ye may or may not know, this land is split into many different countries. Be sure that ye know them and a bit of their laws lest ye chance upon their waters by accident and they sink ye for being rude. First of all, let's go over the nations. Right smack in the middle, ye've got us, the Island Nations of Malta. Since we're right in the middle, we're a trade center and mostly neutral (it's in your best interests when you're small and in the midst of everything). You can worship whatever you want and spend whatever you want here, we're not too particular. And if you're a native, you'll get a decent tan, though not as much as those Istins or Caladeem folk. In the southwest, ye've got the Lower Lands. Largest continent we know in the Inner Seas. It's the host of 4 nations: Caladeem, Chu-lin, Vithril, and Zaxon. Let's start with Caladeem. Ye may not see much of them out on the seas. They're a dark-skinned desert tribe. Caravans are their trade. Good thing they're on the continent with the most nations to trade from eh? They worship the winds of the desert to bring them home safe. They're mostly in the middle of the continent between Zaxon and Vithril. Next is the Defender's Republic of Vithril. Defenders, sure. If you consider defense throwing a preemptive strike against nearly everyone. They've calmed down a bit in these later days, which is good for trade, but don't under estimate them just because they're fair-skinned. They've got a pretty strong fleet out there and Vithril steel is the best when it comes to armor and weapons. Guess it has to be to outlast the fog in some of the ports. And believe me, they'll wear it. And they know how to use both. In about the middle of the Lower Lands is Zaxon. Eh, they're alright, though kind of like a peaceful version of the Vithrils. A lot more religious, this lot. In fact, their Goddess Fiona is pretty much the guiding point of all their decisions. Don't try and confuse them by saying things such as "church and state"; the church IS the state here. Mostly they're peaceful, but they have a pretty thick hatred of the Vithrils for the most part. And they know how to fight too when they need to. The priests in particular have some potent magic on 'em. Last on that continent we've got Chu-lin. Interesting place. Scary too. Built on the craggy rocks on the south-eastern end of the Lower Lands, they seem to be pretty religious too, though what exactly their religion is is beyond me. Instead of churches, they call them monasteries, and their unarmed technique is unsurpassed. That doesn't mean they shun weapons, but some of them know how to fight just as well (and just as strongly) without one as they do with. In Chu-lin, honor is your life. Those without honor are lower than dust and not even given the dignity of a proper death. The emperor, may he live a thousand years, looks over this nation of nearly constant lightning and thunderstorms. Scary place to visit, and sometimes the people can be a bit intimidating but overall they seemed alright. Eyes look a bit shifty though Now if we look northeast of Malta, there's the Isle of Winds. It's a lot smaller than the Lower Lands, but Dunlor takes up a goodly chunk of the western half, with the Istin maintaining the east. Speaking of Dunlor, I don't know about those folk. They own most of the western part of the Island. Shifty bunch and pretty blase, though some people say they're likeable. I can't get past the fact that they're hiding something either. They always seem to know firsthand what's going on in the other nations but no one knows what goes on THERE. Very fishy. Bunch of pinkies. And last that brings us to Istin. They're on a small portion on the east half of Dunlor and got dealt the best deck too it seems. I mean, Istin is BEAUTIFUL, looks like it's untouched by human hands. If you go there, expect to see a lot of forests, even from the coastline. Lush green trees everywhere. They've got a pretty dark tan there too, about the same as the Caladeem, though they cover themselves less. Some people call them savage, but really they're good people. They just don't prefer people to visit any longer than necessary and have no interest in sailing out. Everything is provided by the earth by them. I think they have a religion, but it's mostly down to spirits and stuff like that. There's other little islands and tribes besides that, but these are the major ones. What? You say I forgot Aquainis? The nation that sunk beneath the waves? Ha! Those are faeries tales, laddie. I won't be spreading rumors in these kinds of things. Now then, if all this is confusing to you, we've got a map at the end of this. Ye can find it at http://rowyn.sandwich.net/SSS/info/worldmap.jpg if you're impatient. And if you want to find out more about the nations a little easier, find it at http://rowyn.sandwich.net/SSS/trade.txt. -The Brine- Now there might be other nations outside the Inner Seas. There might not be, we don't know. There's this kind of mist that surrounds us called "The Brine." No one knows exactly what ye'll find and no one cares to. Why when all our comforts are right here, eh? Better to stay where it's known than to risk uncertain doom, eh? No ships's returned if it's sailed into the Brine. By accident or otherwise. So be careful out there. -History of the Inner Seas- Now that ye have the geography under your belt, let's go into a little bit of how we came at this point. Now, I ain't no historian so forgive me if I forget a little, mix things up along the way, or even say things that are outright wrong. But if ye read this, ye'll get a one-up on the common folk and that's a good thing if ye want ta go exploring. -Olden times- The oldest written text that was written is kept by the Zaxon ministry. It suggests that Malta was connected to the Lower Lands by a solid piece of land. Disaster struck (the text is unclear on exactly what) and half of the land sunk to create the island of Malta as it's known today. It is this area that was known as Aquainas. Rumors have surfaced that they survived and are still living at the bottom of the ocean, but those are mostly old sailor's tales by men who have lost most of their wit as well as teeth. Not many believe in them today. Those of Malta decent are descendants of the orignal people of Aquainis. And even most of them don't believe in the legend. One thing of note though is that around the time of the sinking of Aquainis, the Brine came. Shrouding the waters, some tested to see if they could exit through the Brine. The ships were far too primative, however, and none returned. Superstition arose and tales of the Brine raged like wildfire. -Vithril's Rise to Power- During this time was when Vithril was just reaching its modest beginnings. The nation expanded on a mission of conquest. People soon forgot about the Brine as this new threat began sweeping south through Caladeem. At about the same time, Zaxon heard rumors tell of a holy site dedicated to Fiona in the northern islands. They went on a crusade to search the island, then Istin, and encountered the native people. The Istinese refused to be bullied and bloodshed ensued. It continued until Zaxon heard rumors of the Vithril pushing forward into their territory. Suspecting foul play, the excursion was put on hold. Some chose to remain there, prefering the environment. Since the area they occupied were mostly useless to the Istinese peoples, a peaceful settlement was agreed upon. Vithril had cut through most of Caladeem. Though the Caladeem people were skilled fighters, the armor built by the Vithril gave the Caladeem little opportunity to show it. The Vithril continued on through towards Zaxon and were met with resistance. It wasn't long before the Vithril, low on resources from the campaign and unready to take on reinforcements so soon, pulled back. The Zaxon forgot about Istin and set their eyes on Vithril like a hawk. They would not settle so easily. -The Treaty of Malta- A compromise was made for a cease fire in the only neutral nation in the conflict, Malta. The nation's chose Port Rio as the site for that treaty and a reluctant end was given to the war. Just as the final mark of the treaty was about to be signed, the Istin people showed with their own portion of the treaty. It was the first time the Istinese people had taken an active stance in the affairs of the Inner Seas in years. Slapping down a paper written in surprisingly elegant Maltan, the people declared those that had settled in Istin to be a free and sovereign nation free of Zaxon. The country was declared Dunlor, and the Istinese agreed to let them settle half the land to live in amnesty away from the Zaxon people. Tired of war, the Zaxon begrudgingly agreed, though there has been animosity between Dunlor and Zaxon ever since. Istin kept the vast abundance of natural splendor on the northern island, while Dunlor received resources more common to industrialized folk. It was an easy settlement to make for both sides. The treaty offered to rebuild Caladeem, but they only chose two of their holiest cities, Caldril and Nafir, to be restored to their former glory. The others were of less importance. The people survived, that is what mattered. All they wished was to be left in peace. The seas around Caladeem became known as the Sea of Serenity to symbolize this new peace. The Maltans feared that this peace wouldn't last, but so far it has. Though the Vithril have found other methods for satisfying their bloodlust, internal skirmishes have prevented them from amassing a force great enough to take on the Zaxons again. As for Caladeem, they have proven themselves far more prepared this time if Vithril were to launch another invasion. Let them not be caught without warning twice. -Chu-lin's arrival- Out of the Brine, surprisingly enough, came a few ships to land on the eastern coast of the Lower Lands. Everyone was surprised. After all, no ship was able to make it through the Brine. Was the Brine only one-sided? At this, some sailors tried in vain and hope was renewed of escaping the Inner Seas but to no avail. It soon died again as quickly as it had started. But still the question of whom these settlers were arose. Some contend (and still do) that they were around all the time, simply on islands not seen by the Brine. It SEEMED as if they had come from the Brine, but they would not, or could not, say. They did not speak the same tongue common to the lands here. They settled in the stormlands, as they were then called and the Zaxons, fearful from their previous times of strife, feared the worse. However, it never came. The Chu-lin as they called themselves once they learned the language, never intended to invade, only to find a permanent homeland to call their own. Since the land was deemed mostly unuseable, the Chu-lin inhabited all they could. Occassionally they creep into the surrounding forests where the native tribes lurked -Current Issues- Some animosity still exists amongst nations, though this is settling somewhat. The peace made from the treaty of Malta allowed for trade to flourish, and Malta herself is especially prosperous. But where trade exists, those bandits that intend to make easy profits always dare to follow. Pirate fleets, none admitting loyalty to any particular nation, started sailing. In fact, some of these sailing vessels had a mixture of the crew on board, the first seen in years. In a sense, the pirates were a mixed blessing. It unites people in a common cause and those seeking bounties for these pirates can certainly find something worth their while. No country claims any sanctions on the piracy actions as well. Zaxon and Vithril are mostly at peace, though Vithril is still caught in occassional internal unrest. At the moment, things are quiet but they never know. Zaxon has attempted to send missionaries through Caladeem and the native tribes surrounding their southern border in hopes of persuading them to join the cause of Fiona. So far none have been met with success. They have attempted missionaries to Chu-lin as well, however none have been able to make it within Chu-lin borders. The appearance of gunpowder and weapons from Dunlor shocked most of the nations, but provided for a new defense against piracy. Some rumors that Dunlor had practiced arts originally forbidden by the Zaxon made them suspect that the Dunlor planned to settle away for quite some time. However, no proof has been found of this and the materials from Dunlor are so useful that few bat an eyebrow at it. Still, one does have to wonder. The current sailing age in the Year of the Ferret is wide and prosperous. Who knows what may happen from now on? -Creatures- Most of the creatures don't look that odd. There's a regular assortment of flora and fauna around. There is some tell of spirits of the dead still lurking as well, but those are hard to get anything out of. I've heard talk of mermaids, mermen, kraken, all sorts of dangers out there. Never know what you'll encounter on the seas. Some creatures may, and are, taken as pets. Usually the cuter ones are taken, though there have been some odd-looking fauna attempted to be raised as pets. Some captains prefer to have a pet on board for good luck. -Magic- Magic in the Inner Seas consists of 10 elements. These are: Flame: Volcanos, forest fires, burning cities and the like Ice: Snow, frozen plains Mist: Morning dew, fog Wind: Strong gales Lightning: Thunderstorms, electricity? (Heard those Dunlorians use the term once but...) Water: Fresh water sources, rain Sound: Sonic vibrations, music. Not found in adepts. Rock: Caverns, cliffs Wood: Forests Blood*: Battle fields, drawing of blood (usually one's own) *Note: Blood magic is considered by many to be a tainted form of magic. It is one of the most horrific and some say the most deadly. Most nations are distrustful of it, save Vithril, who use others fear of the element to their advantage. Magic is common amongs many nation's blood and most don't think anything of the so-called "lesser" manifestations of magic. For the majority of the population, magic manifests itself in one of two ways: channelling (also known as elemental techniques) or affinities. The third way, which some call sorcery, is considered by those less educated (and some who are just downright haughty) to be the only "true" form of magic. The rest is just trickery. The nature of affinities are odd and it's understandable why some wouldn't consider it magic. It's not flashy or even obvious. Rather there just happen to be certain individuals who have the darnedness of luck in certain environments. The one with the affinity (called an adept in some circles) may not even know that they have such an affinity. And usually the environment has to be at least a bit uncommon for the affinity to work. I mean, not all those with a water affinity are the best pirates nor are those with Rock lucky all the time. Since there's so much of it, it's hard to seperate the element from the background, you see. But get a water adept to fight in the rain and ye might be in for a rough time. And the rarer the occurance, the stronger the affinity it seems. Elemental Techniques are a little flashier; err, make that a LOT flashier. It's still not called "true" magic by the elite, but there's no mistaking the sense of magic about it. By channeling the ethereal energy into a preferred weapon, those who possess these techniques can create a powerful attack. However, it could be because these techniques can only be used with the weapon and even then only for attacking and defending that people do not call them true mages. There have been no incidents where a technique artist has shown signs of sorcery. Sorcerers are unable to do the channelling technique, but many say the point is moot. After all, why bother lighting a sword on fire when you can simply chant and throw the fireball right at your opponent? Sorcerers are able to take energy from their own body and energy from the atmosphere and create it into a new form of manifest energy. The potential of these sorcerers is recognized amongst all nations, and steps are usually taken to make sure they are "properly educated" from very young how to best serve their country. It's very rare that a sorcerer remains undiscovered for long. Many sorcerers maintain some position of respect amongst their brethren (if not necessarily other sorcerers if they're too weak) and many are given religious status (if the country is big on religion, that is). -Technology- Most of the technology of the Inner Seas is rennaisance-ish. Ships are made of wood, pistols and muskets are powerful, but some are inaccurate and all have limited shots due to flint/wheel-lock mechanisms. Bows, crossbows and repeating crossbows are available as well. Larger weaponry consists of cannons (both sea-faring and wheel mounted as well as magic cannon shot), harpoon guns, catapults, siege towers, battering rams, etc. Science in general isn't totally unknown, and some inventors exist out there, but most take care to exhibit their studies. New technology is frowned upon at best by most and feared at worst. Countries such as Vithril and Zaxon are staunchly opposed to it, to the extent that inventors are often jailed, killed, or worse (though they claim that they have none, as do most of the nations). Caladeem and Chu-lin frown on inventors and those who try that profession are socially ostracized. Malta is fairly indifferent to this whole mess but often respect the fact that other nations are against it. As such, they normally do not harbor inventors. Istin, strangely enough, proudly admits that they have no such inventors nor even need for them and all investigations have not been able to refute their claims. Even so, they are one of the few nations that would be welcoming of an inventor in their midst, as long as they didn't bother their homelands. The real puzzle seems to lie in Dunlor. Dunlor has been long suspected of harboring, and even perhaps FUNDING inventors in their works; however no evidence of these secret inventor stashes have been found. The leaders of Dunlor have been rather vague when the subject has come up, and many heated debates have ended with accusations thrown about. The Dunlor navy is presumed to be just as wooden as the rest of the fleets. Many from the Lower Lands distrust the Dunlor because of this.