Map & Locations
The location and limits of Grimwoods Storyline lies within the Acora Peninsula which includes Achio Islands. Anything outside is called Beyond Realms or CrownRealms as a generic 'off camera' name. Continents outside of this realm exists but are not explored in the storyline. Players are free to state they come from Beyond Realms but it would not be canon nor recognized in game.
The current map is not to scale and there may be villages, homes and smaller towns that are not shown. But there are but only three major kingdoms in Acora. and two in Achio Islands. Feel free to explore! Below is a list description of the three major kingdoms and some notable locations. <Achio Islands kingdoms will be added shortly>
Evolas - The City of Alleys
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A large dense kingdom of a city that has stacks of homes and towers through the interior surrounded by a protective high masonry wall. It sits on a higher sand-quartz terrain and the realm is multi-racial and multilingo with Spango (spanish) and CommonTongue (english) being the most spoken language. The Esmeralda Royal Family run the city and their amorous family drama is a common and entertaining discussion among Evolians.
Some claim they’ve seen the king dress as a pauper dramatically protest over his beloved before drowning his sorrows on common beer at a low-brow tavern.
Evolas is known for three things: Amenities, Advance Arcane Engineering and Entertainment.
This city is competitive with trading and imports from various kingdoms and often calls it self 'The Buisness Kingdom'. Enumerous small buisnesses exist here with tinker trades, inventions, medicine, alchemy, and high refined amenities such as restaurants, entertainment and music. Religion is not taken seriously but Celestrial Druidism seems to be the most popular with the Arcane Universitas in it's center.
Evolas is much more expensive to live in but the city has much more working opportunities. Best way to earn a loan or rise up in classes is getting into court! Courtly life is a plaza and location at the foot of the Esmeralda castle where nobles and high-ranking buisness owners linger to discuss politics, pitch their ideas for themselves or others, negotiate prices, selling and attaining favors. In Evolas, nobles have deep pockets and through them one could attain exposure.
For nobles to continue being members of court they must demonstrate fidelity to the realm and royal family. One way is providing personal royal knights and Archmages to take shifts and turns protecting the realm especially outside in Arid Commons. Each royal family have their own sigil and their own agendas.
Peasants and middleclass also live here, they make good fair coin but live in very small housing inbetween alleys and tight quarters. Some do not mind as they make enough Lacrimos (coins) to eat out every day, enjoy the countless amenities, entertainment and embrace a kitchenless home with no messy farm needing care.
When it comes to magic, Evolas is fiercely devoted to it. Studious mages come from all over the peninsula to study at the Arcane Universitas in Alchemy, Sorcery & Practical Magics with libraries and plenty of reagents here. Any who graduate become private mages for royal courts, explore the world with their skills and devote themselves in advancing magics into new frontiers as mages, wizards and witches. Although cultures of all kinds are welcomed to study in Evolas, necromancy & blood magics are fiercely illegal here. Hurting others with magic is also punishable by law unless used for defense purposes only.
In marketplaces there is much to see, exotic tropical fruits from Achio Islands, clocks, fashion, specialty elements, rare foods, great wine and it's rowdy with lively taverns through out the night.
Be weary though, it also has shady neighbors among tight alleyways and winding roads. The deep sewers that flow underneath allows activities to slip in and out of shadows without notice. Pick pocketing is high here, there’s definitely an underbelly and gambelings dens.
FOUNDING HISTORY.
Evolas's founding nobles fled from the CrownRealms over centuries ago, seeking freedom to study and use magic freely and grew tired of it's regional wars that was decimating their families. Their desire was to create new magical inventions, alchemy and tinkers of engineering to envigorate their lives, evolve their lifestyle but most of all make profit and buisness freely with it. After a short navy battle against the CrownRealms along side the Elven Kingdoms in 1003, they used their newly developed ManaBlaze powder in canons and achieve their liberty. Til today, the canons used from battle sit at the perimeter walls pointed to the open E'lumir Sea.
It's current royal family - Familia Esmeralda, continue the tradition promising their civilians that they will never have needless wars in pursuit of conquering kingdoms. Utilizing only their army for defense and buisness as their leverage. All have freedom to pursue innovations, magical lifestyle and profit from it.
Philosophers at the Universitas often say that magic allows an efficient life, a way for people to protect themselves and to some it is even considered a spiritual connection. At the eastern bay, Evolas has a statue that faces the eastern sunlight with their motto : *Libertus Magia*. Liberty & Magic.
Selsonia - The Cleric Kingdom
Long meadows and seas of green grass with views of the sea and mountains make it almost heavenly and peaceful. Fog passes through the region in early mornings due to high altitudes, and the waterfalls in the north can be heard from far away. It is an agricultural treasure, and its "heavenly" valleys are what drew the Holy Realm to care for it in the first place—believing there is something sacred here to be cared for.
Selsonia has no royal family, but a Circle of Clerics who oversee the region as part of the Holy Realm—the Order in which the Brigade of Roses serves. In their capital, a large dome cathedral sits as a refuge for the restless, the poor and those evading cold winters - dedicated to Li'una - the Mood Goddess of Souls - the motherly figure of protection, divine morality and hope.
The Clerics oversee the kingdom's affairs and make fair trades with other regions, usually modest and not as aggressive in their approach as Evolas.
Their highest exports are cheese, meats, mined iron, and woodwork or timber-frame materials.
There are small village leaders or mayors, but this area has no elitus (wealthy families) or nobles, as the Circle of Clerics does not want them here to overrun farm folk. Nobility can visit, but cannot invest here…
"We do not strive in caring for these sacred lands so that nobles can covet it, greed over it, and keep it for themselves, shooing these individuals from such wondrous territory. This land belongs to the good folk who work hard for it." — Holy Realm
Despite the agricultural abundance in its soils and phenomenal views, there is a downside to it. It's a bit sleepy. Picturesque and cozy, it can be slow in Selsonia, and some things aren't done as quickly as they could be.
Civilians can be seen waving fans, drinking tea, and watching the landscape of their flocks while fiddlers play slow tunes. It may sound wonderful, but the youth argue it’s too boring for their liking.
The Holy Realm is also particular on what religions are allowed; they don't accept invoking spirit rituals or possessions. Oslo followers are also not allowed, nor anything that appears necromantic or cultic. Magic is definitely allowed, especially for agricultural and healing use, but ancestor worship may wrinkle some noses—why disturb the dead? Rough-looking individuals may also get some stares & gossip...
Selsonia is also home to the Grand Infirmary of the Shrine of Li'una, the largest infirmary & school of surgery on the peninsula. There are also retreats for those ill of the mind facing the sea-fresh air.
The leading Clerics have promised its people that they shall have freedom to attain land with no nobility to interfere, have amenities for care, protection, and medical needs, and that they will never serve royalty in its territory.
Selsonia's religious practice is strict, but it is to assure their protection from cults or strange magics that could harm their civilians—especially after what happened in the Necromancer's War.
This Kingdom is ideal to raise families with safety, country comfort, and a healthy lifestyle. Their taverns have great small-town camaraderie & the people are hospitable, generous, and laid-back… as long as you don't look suspicious.
THE MEMORIAL
Near the entry of Selsonia is the Diovelos and Diovela Memorial, dedicated to all the knights, clerics, mages, and paladins who served in the Necromancer's War over a hundred years ago—during the Brigade of Roses battle that held their line against a horde of undead. The relics of their skeletal frames, still in their armor, are encased in glass and stone along the walls, with their weapons and plaques detailing who they were and how they perished, surrounded by candlelight.
Although the memorial is surrounded by roses, the very same ones used during that infamous battle, people continue their lives around it, living peacefully thanks to the sacrifice of the brave few.
The kingdom had a short battle at it's shores called the 'Betrayal's War' seven years ago, but with high defenses and collective paladins and clerics, the dictatorship that threatened their shores was quickly defeated.
Hastaad - The Oldest Kingdom
A Southern kingdom of the Acora Peninsula, it exists in the foggy plains and misty green meadows of the south. It might be grey here, but it never snows, nor does it have intense summers, maintaining a temperate climate. This makes it an ideal place for grassy water-onions, coffee, berries and potatoes.
It was once very vibrant with green fields and rich soil, but recent storms and rising waters have made the area marshy and difficult to live in. Those who had cattle left as wetlands rotted their livestock hooves, heading north to Selsonia and drier conditions.
As such, Haastad for centuries has suffered from a very slow depopulation. It also doesn't help that magic is not allowed here—it is strictly illegal. The followers of Oslo have a rather agnostic and intense hold here, influencing the laws embraced by the "Fatherly King Medos." An aged human king, with whispy gizzard figure and hard serious gaze; 'old enough to be everyone's father', is how he got the nickname. He oversees the kingdom in solitude and insist his only joy in life is his grandchildren, although many say have stopped seeing him. He has a rather acrimonious view about magic in all facets of society from politics, pyschology and would rant to any who would hear him.
His view, similar to the Oslomians is that the Necromancer's War could have been avoided if people had just stopped using magic in it's entirely. Professing in long thesis on how people and their greed for magic lead to demise.
For this reason, Haastad embraced the Oslo Doctrine of Anti-magic lifestyle and for the last 60 years no one has been allowed to practice magic within its borders, not even for healing. The kingdom has its own sheriffs within its borders to enforce it; the League of Blackstar is not part of it.
Without magic, farming has become rough and rudimentary, progress is slow, and those who do want to study magic end up leaving for Evolas to do so. The good side is that the people of Haastad are extremely good at science, alchemy, and medicinal herbs, and are fiercely protective of their recipes—they just don't have all the reagents at hand to stock their shelves. They evolve using simple mechanics with ore and wood.
The Fatherly King has promised his civilians, that although their lives are humble and simple, that they will never have to fear mages or blood cultists in their region. That Hastaads's citizens can walk freely knowing they can't be "zapped" by mages or any cruel wizar, no luxury is worth sacraficing safety for!
Should any be caught fiddling with magic, reading it's books, or even attempting to draw it's encantations, they will be quickly found and dealt with by their sheriffs. Naturally, elves are not well received here and imports in the region are slow, tedious and strict.
Taxes are also severe here, which people complain is impoverishing them. But rather than striking back, they have begun to leave and thus make the depopulation even worst. For the ones who stay, they are usually the ones who are doing well and enjoy the culture of a magic-less society.
But should you look past the gloomy aspects and strict laws, there are good people here who shine past the grey atmosphere. Humble, grounded, and with good intentions there are some who adapted and have not let it dim their inner-light.
Ironically though, despite Hastaads detest of magical nature, it's most promising buyer of their green vegetable export is Achio Islands as the elves who do love the greens and the berries.
Hastaad is also well reknown for their pies, baked perogies and casseroles to warm the spirits. Their region lost much of their private Ale farms due to incoming storms that flooded the region, but Hastaad brews the darkest ale in the entire peninsula rich with flavor. Some have joke that the Dark Ale might be broodier than the Fatherly King's heart.