The Sovereignties of Aurisium

[Quantum Rain]

Name:The Sovereignties of Aurisium
Government Type: Hardline Monarchy & Baron states
Language: Rough English, Auris
Capitol: Haven City

An empire more than a collection of states, Aurisium is an entanglement of, mostly, humans and four-armed feline like beings known as Sovani, as well as several, but lesser species that tend to dominate specific states throughout the nation.

Comprised of several states that tend to be ever-expanding into the unknown, Aurisium as a whole is more like a crescent shaped bay with sparse islands off major coastlines. The current capital city, however, is not located within any of these states, but rather found a short distance off-center, within the bay, and in the water. The city known as Haven is an oceanic-based architectural marvel, but due to obvious limitations, is not very large and is still under construction in several parts. These parts are of the city itself, its several bays and docks, and the many bridges aimed at connecting the city with the mainland. As well, the edge of the shallow water the city is being built on provides stability, but limits construction time as smaller boats must be utilized to ship building materials.

Aurisium's military power lies more in its balancing act between agile units and more advanced war machines. Balancing naval and land forces, Aurisium prefers more effective, trained units than a horde of lightly-trained green ones. They tend to focus on armor and agility where applicable than anything else. The generals of these armies are also encouraged to utilize more bizzare tactics and strategies rather than the run-of-the-mill ones most others would use.

[Quantum Rain]

Basic Map:


Population: how dense the population is.
Status: Status given by the empire.
Ownership: Owned by the empire or not.
It is color coded for ease of remembrance and reference.

Havenia:

Population: Dense
Status: Province
Ownership: Aurisium

Found between Altius and Tyrain, in the center of the Crescent Bay, Havenia is less of a state and more of a provincial coastline near the city of Haven. Havenia is the main training and military production center for Aurisium. Utilizing the nearby Forbidden Forest as part of its industry and training grounds, Havenia is an important part of the empire at large.

Anterum:

Population: Light
Status: State
Ownership: Aurisium

Due to how close Aurisium is to the northern pole of the planet, Anterum has few warm-water ports to operate from. For this reason, it is a very sparsely populated state. There is little of true import aside from its proximity to the White Mountains and the sparse crystal mines found there.

Altius:

Population: Mild
Status: State
Ownership: Aurisium

Found below Anterum, Altius' proximity to the Crystal-Valley pass and the White mountains make it a very lucrative area. As well, it retains several warm water ports in the southern half of the state. Its primary feature, however, are the crystal mines. The crystals harvested from the mines allow for various hovercraft and airships. This is what has made the state an important one indeed.

Tyrain:

Population: Heavy
Status: State
Ownership: Aurisium

Found in the southern part of the Crescent Bay, Tyrain is mostly grasslands and prairies. For this reason, roads and farming towns are bountiful, but there are only a handful of ports. Thus the roads are the main means of shipping materials and goods. As well, Tyrain provides a majority share of the food to the empire.

Sovanis:

Population: Very Dense
Status: State
Ownership: Aurisium

Home of the Sovani, Sovanis is the technological capital of the empire. Providing an equal share of just about everything. It is here that humans and sovani alike produce the hovercrafts and lighter airships for the military and civilian population alike.

White Mountains:

Population: Sparse
Status: Region
Ownership: Aurisium

The White Mountains are the source of what is simply known as the 'Crystal'. A substance which allows a craft, with proper utilization, to defy gravity and, in some cases, reach some impressive speeds. Thus it is an integral part of the Empire's military industry, as it is used in many of its oceanic structures, such as Haven, and much of its military uses it, in place of conventional calvary. However, current technology cannot utilize these crystals for large-scale crafts and compacted areas, as the crystal can destabilize.

Crystal-Valley Pass:

Population: Very Sparse
Status: Region
Ownership: Aurisium

The only pass through the White Mountains, and is almost completely covered in crystal. For this reason, it is not heavily traveled, as the crystal prevents any party larger than a single-file line. As well, the various creatures that were deformed and evolved around the crystal tend to make travel difficult. As such, only the military utilizes this path or armed convoys.

Forbidden Forest:

Population: Very Very Sparse
Status: Region
Ownership: Aurisium

The Forbidden Forest is unique in that it also has naturally growing crystal on the trunks of the jungle-like trees. As well, much of the fauna and flora have developed around this crystal and is unique to this forest. It is also a very hostile forest, and is not completely mapped out. This makes for a perfect training ground, but is dangerous to anyone that is alone and lightly-armed. Aside from this, it is like any of the pine forests surrounding the empire.

Greatwood Forest:

Population: Light
Status: Region
Ownership: Aurisium

A normal forest for normal people. While the trees are thankfully shorter than the Forbidden Forest, one could still get easily lost as the Empire has not forged paths or roads through the large forest yet. It has been observed that the Greatwood is slowly getting overrun by the jungle-like trees of the Forbidden Forest.

Southfield Plains:

Population: Light
Status: Region
Ownership: Aurisium

An area of interest to the empire, the Southfield plains are where many of the roads lie for the empire, and is a rich grassland for farming. Thus, it is an area soon to be claimed and colonized as it develops around the trade-hubs of Tyrain and Sovanis.

Sovanis Mountains:

Population: Sparse
Status: Region
Ownership: Aurisium

A harsh, but small mountain range that cuts upward through Sovanis and to the tip of the Crescent Bay. It has no crystal, and is thus not very dangerous to navigate, but its sharp rocks and high-altitudes make up for the lack of hostile creatures. It is, however, rich in a few basic minerals, and some mines have cropped up on the edge of Sovanis, but it is not a major industry yet.

Chryius:

Population: Light
Status: State
Ownership: Aurisium

A state in which most of its population lives close to the water, the land found a few miles out are infertile and overrun with wild beasts. It is, however, a major in the mining industry despite its harsh circumstances.

Terrius:

Population: Medium
Status: State
Ownership: Aurisium

A mix between mining and farming, Terrius lies on the edge of the Southfield Plains and the Sovanis Mountain Range. As well, it is a central trade hub, supplying many of the minerals that Havenia uses for the construction of Haven.

Laetius:

Population: Mild
Status: State
Ownership: Aurisium

A strictly farming state that is very much similar to Tyrain. It, however, lacks naval ports of any form, and relies strictly on mainland travel and trade for its needs.

Terminus:

Population: Light
Status: State
Ownership: Aurisium

A harsh frontier state of the empire that thrives on its mining economy, Terminus supplies a good portion of the crystal and lumber supplies for the empire.

Frozen Wastes:

Population: Very Very Sparse
Status: Region
Ownership: None

A frozen, unforgiving land of infertile land. No one wants to live here, especially with all of the beasts that have wandered from the White mountains infesting the lands.

Black Steppes:

Population: Very Sparse
Status: Region
Ownership: None

Another harsh land that has impeded the empire's progress, the Black Steppes are almost devoid of life and rainwater. Thus, the land tends to be unforgiving to those whom would attempt to colonize it. Even so, those who do are most often bandits.

Glacier Sea:

Population: None
Status: Region
Ownership: None

Devoid of land life altogether, the Glacier Sea is as cold as it gets, and is very unforgiving to naval travel. However, it is a rich fishing ground, and may potentially have underwater crystal veins waiting to be harvested. Unfortunately, it is impossible to reach this icy land and survive.

[Quantum Rain]

Crystal:


*Crystal found in its natural state underground. The White Mountains and Forbidden Forest are littered with such caves.

A very much mysterious substance. When used by itself, it is capable of defying gravity, and thus many floating islands can be found amongst the white mountains. As well, it seems to move on its own, and never lies still. This would go a long way into explaining why the Forbidden Forest and White Mountains are largely unexplored, due to consistently shifting terrain.

Aurisians and most Sovani are incapable of using magic independently. However, when calling upon the mystical properties of harvested Crystal, said beings are capable of various mystic abilities. Unfortunately for Aurisians, using Crystal aside from transportation seems to mutate them into, as others would see it, more elfish forms with glowing Crystal deposits literally growing on their body. Such mutated beings do not have long lifespans, and thus those who decide to enter the military via the Cataclysms do so out of patriotism and to aid their loved ones.

For the Sovani, however, it would seem that they do not mutate nearly as badly. For most Sovani, only their eyes and hair color change, typically to a darker color. Otherwise, they are mostly normal. Most researchers believe that this is due to the fact that Sovani are more mystically inclined than Aurisians.

Furthermore, more radical mutations can occur on both species and, theoretically, anyone that uses Crystal for its magic. It has been noted that people can turn into monstrous beings devoid of rational or logical thought with prolonged exposure, and it is strictly forbidden to implant Crystal into a human for fear of something worse. Crystal is a closely-guarded military resource, seeing use in civilian sectors only when it comes to improved transport and massive structures like the bridges to Haven, and Haven itself.

Prolonged exposure to inactive Crystal, fortunately, does not induce any permanent health concerns. Thus it is still safe to live near it, if you are a human, it would seem. This does raise the question of how the creatures in the Forbidden Forest and White Mountains came about though, and such questions go unanswered still today.

In terms of its utilization for hovercraft, as explained before, inactive Crystal is utilized for its defiance of gravity. However, when placed artificially too close together or activated in this manner, one runs the risk of destabilization, typically referred to Cataclysms. Depending on the amount of Crystal, it could simply shatter or explode violently, racking the earth and nature around it. In the natural setting, however, Crystal proves more docile. It is unknown why, but until such secrets are unraveled, airship travel beyond the innovative design of the Firefly is impossible.

[Sponsored content]