LUMARELLE
Lumarelle is a country on the western continent, The Garden, far to the north. It's built within a valley at the center of the mountain range called The Teeth that comprises the border between this country and Verity. It's known for being cold, sparsely populated, and mostly inhospitable. The landscape is mountainous and densely forested with spruce and pine trees.
Lumarelle, while it only emerged as formidable country in the last 400 years or so, is by technicality the oldest country in the world, having its origins as a nation long before the fall of the Fifth Cycle. While most of the country was, in fact, devestated by the Lunar Reprisal, its capital city Lumaria and some of the surrounding area managed to stay entirely intact due to the stasis placed on it by the city's royal family some time before the cycle's end.. This stasis, said to be intentionally corrupted by the witches who worked with the royals, was viewed by many inhabitants of the city who lived through it as a curse rather than a blessing. While a thousand years passed in the outside world, time stood still for those inside. Over time, inhabitants began to lose their sanity, become violent, and some even became ill- but no one inside the city died. Even with their flesh torn apart, their hearts still found ways to beat and persist.
While no one was supposed to be able to enter, nor leave the city, on occasion people managed to escape the confines of the stasis into the outside world. It's believed the current Warden was one of these sorts of individuals, leading Lumarelle as a whole to consider her their patron god. Their worship of her can be described as very unique.
As stated before, Lumaria really only rejoined the world about 500 years ago, being considered a powerful force to be reckoned with ~400 years ago. Stories about how the spell on the city ended are inconsistent and incomplete as the veil between Lumaria and the surrounding world faded slowly and quietly- a soft and uncanny transition from the horrors inside to rejoining the world at large. Lumaria eased itself back into the flow of time, while the people inside were left to deal with the side effects of the stasis. Those who had fallen sick due to the timeplague and those who had been torn apart amidst the insanity died, and those who survived began to experience the fatigue and hunger of hundreds of years without bodily function. Food in the city was scarce, and peace would not find the city for a long time.
Adjusting to the new world they had found themselves in was difficult. By the time the stasis fully ended the population of the city was just a fraction of what it once was, and those who were left struggled as numerous groups of people attempted to regain control. While the city was not as powerful as it was in its heyday, in comparison to the new world of the Sixth Cycle, Lumaria had magic and technology the likes of which were unheard of. It had stockpiles of raw resources, and more importantly, information on engineering and methods of spellcasting, and the people who lived there carried the history of the old world. It didn't take long for scholars and adventurers to flock to the city to see what had become of it- and, oftentimes, get themselves caught up in Lumaria's internal power struggles.
A semblance of peace came at last when the child of the former royals took the throne with their partner- one of the witches who supposedly help create the stasis in the firstplace. While they were (generally speaking) well-liked, and had strong ideals for peace and reconciliation with their subjects, distrust for both the royals and witches was understandably at an all-time low. Just a few years into their reign, this anger was weaponized, and they were killed/usurped by the man who had appointed himself as the leader for the Lumarian church. Extremely charismatic as he was, he proved himself quickly to be a violent and hateful man, who served as the basis for many of the values and beliefs that still hold in Lumarian culture today.
One such belief Lumaria holds is a particular hostility towards magic, likely due to the vitriol directed to the witches who put the city in stasis. A majority of Lumarian citizens believe that magic is a power too-often utilized for evils, too unstable and too chaotic to weild safely by mortals, and a result of an accident by the gods. It's for this reason that magic is outlawed at penalty of death except by those who have undergone rigorous Lumarian training. While exceptions can be made, such as in the case of Rimellion wizards and other highly structured forms of magic, witches and those who practice witchcraft are highly persecuted by the Lumarian government. Practically since the time Lumaria got back on their feet, they have led crusades against these witches that have historically called the region home as penance for their supposed crimes, as well as under the guise of protecting their home.
To keep up with the world around them who have mastered spellcasting, Lumaria utilizes a unique blend of the technology left from the Fifth cycle and what little magic they do weild. Technologies imbued with magic effects to create devestating weapons as well as innovative infrastructure are some of the only magics allowed in the city. In comparison to other cities of the Sixth, much of the devices used by Lumaria are utterly alien.
In addition to leading these conflicts against witches, Lumaria also has a history of colonizing the areas surrounding it- most notably Iota, a large city to the north of Lumaria. Much of the city condemns the fact that Lumarelle has lost so much territory after being sealed, and utilizes the idea that this land "belonged to them" (falseley) to lead violent conflicts around any and all territories within reach. Especially in the case of Iota- a city comprised mostly of groups that existed even before Lumaria's stasis was created- this defense holds no water. Additionally, being the supposed birthplace of the current Warden, they often herald themselves as blessed by God in their mission.
Today, Lumaria is a theocratic monarchy known for their worship of the Warden. As stated before, Lumaria is the birthplace of the Warden, and as such is considered the patron city. The people of Lumaria believe in a male Warden, often using male pronouns for her and depicting the Warden as a man. Many churches have documents supposedly proving this idea have been produced. Their attachment to the Warden leads them to value the concept of justice and retribution. They place a high value on their military and internal defense. Technological advancement is an important part of Lumarian culture as well. Being at the forefront of the world's technological advancement, they make this a large part of their identity. The Lumarian guard is well-equipped with advanced weapons and armor, and among their ranks are powerful artificers trained in Old World technology.
Overall, at a citizen level, the city mantains a jovial atmosphere. The people of Lumaria are proud and rugged people, who care for their families deeply. Many people from outside of Lumarelle consider Lumarians to be loud, boisterous, and even rude at times from their bluntness. Partying, drinking, and feasting are important parts of their culture aside from their prayer and devotions. Festivals in Lumaria are numerous and extravagent. One such festival involves the giant withered tree at the center of the city which the royals built their palace around called simply the Great Tree. The Great Tree catches fire once a year during an event called the Festival of Old Light. Believed to be a blessing by the Warden, the fire produced by the Great Tree has intense magical properties which can be used to power the magic technologies the city produces.
Before Lumaria escaped its stasis, one of the largest cities in the region was the far northern city, Iota (Though in modern times, it's actually much, much smaller than it was prior). Prior to Lumaria rejoining The Garden, it was considered the capital of the country Lumarelle, which was then known as Iolkani.
So far to the north it is that half the year it spends cloaked in darkness, and the other bathed in light. Much of the customs of Iota are based on this fact, as well as the highly unique religious beliefs still held to this day in parts of the outskirts.
Traditionally, worship of the Night (goddess) and the concept of divinity (rather than the conventional pantheon) embodied in one being simply referred to as "the Sun" was extremely common. Duality was seen as extremely sacred. As such, the city was run by two separate families, one dedicated to the Night and one dedicated to the Sun. The former was referred to as the Dark/Black family, while the former the Light/White family. Intermarriage and "gray" children were completely forbidden, and crown royals were chosen one from each family based on who most perfectly embodied the ideals of the family. Together they would make decisions and rule the city. Each family's heir typically took a lover from within their half of the church to keep the divine lineage pure in its brightness. These beliefs trickled down even into what would be considered modern "gender" roles. Light was associated with the heavens, masculinity, and order, while darkness was associated with creation/magic, knowledge, and femininity, as well as chaos to some extent. The expression of "gender roles" in Iota appears strange to the outside observer, as they were assigned less on physical appearance or the state of one's body and more on behaviors or what one is drawn to.
Not too long after Lumaria was reestablished, it began the process of violent colonization in Iota that climaxed in the assasination of the royal family. The heirs to the throne went missing and never returned, leaving the city vulnerable and with a power vacuum that was much too easy to fill. As such, Lumaria took the city by force.
Today, Iota has lost much of its culture. The Iotan's original language and worship is nearly dead, in lieu of traditions put in place by Lumaria. Duality is still an important aspect of Iotan life, however, the emphasis on masculinity vs. femininity has been reinforced in ways seen as more conventional to Lumarians. The royal families remain largely unchanged, aside for the fact the dark family always produces a female heir and the light family produces a male heir, who then rule alongside each other and take lovers from their church of choice as usual. The churches themselves are, of course, different as well. Worship of the Sun has been replaced by worship of Callista and worship of the Night has been replaced with worship of Aphelia. The families are much more associated now with life and death than anything else.
Iota today may not be as large and important as it once was, but is still an invaluable member of this region's economy. Iota exports a large amount of metals, lumber (especially wood and wood pulp for the purpose of making paper) and agricultural products, having developed extremely unique ways to produce food amidst the harsh cold. Additionally, Iota makes for powerful adversaries in times of war, utilizing extremely unique forms of combat.
While they may be worthy adversaries, Iotans are not overwhelmingly fond of going to war and fighting. In fact, most Iotans today highly value intellectual pursuits of all kinds- literature and music at the forefront. Additionally, even when dealing with crime and domestic issues, Iota does not prefer violent punishment except in the most extreme of circumstances. Iotans value their community, and as such they are more keen on solving the issues that led to the crime or to try to reconcile with criminals.
Oral storytelling is still held to extremely high regard in Iota. Lumaria has tried very hard to mold Iota's art and music to their image, but they've not gotten very far in this regard- Iotan music and storytelling are extremely unique and was always an exceptionally important part of their lives. A good example of these values is the practice of starsongs, which are unique "living" songs performed under the night sky- especially during the part of the year that the city is swathed in darkness. They're typically performed on-the-spot, describing the "story" (typically made up by the performer) of the stars in their current positions. They're never to be written down, and while they are on occasion performed again are never the same.
The two families are currently the white Vielga family, and the black Idja family. The heir to the Vielga family is (name) and the heir to the Idja family is Aino Aidja.
A city that's on the cusp of the Lumarelle-Verity borderline. Though, technically it's jurisdiction resides in Lumarelle, those who know of Sigilhold know it'll meddle in the affairs of both territories. It was one of the first towns to pop up after the end of the last cycle, and as such is home to many powerful historic sites. Ruins and artifacts litter the outskirts of Sigilhold, some undiscovered and untouched- waiting for someone to explore their depths and find their treasures.
Sigilhold is rather good at hiding itself, to the point that even its existence isn't considered common knowledge. Some eccentric spellcasters might hear its name but most common folk are unaware of the city. Its location also helps to hide the city. It's nested in the dense pine forests between Verity and Lumarelle, and uses difficult mountainous terrain to its advantage.
Those who rumor about the city often pass around the tale that the pine forests around it are so dense, the city proper is constantly shrouded in darkness. Though, in actuality the city gets light just fine. It's just fun to make scary rumors about such a mysterious place. This rumor could also be a miscommunication on the architecture of the actual city itself. The entire city is built in black, from the buildings that make up Sigilhold to the cobblestone that lines the streets. The only thing in the city that isn't pure back is the warm, orange glow of the streetlights. This is an ordinance that is actually enforced, and it is said to be because of Sigilhold's affinity for the occult and spirits. They say that emulating a city wrapped in darkness is more comforting for the ghosts that wander in their city.
Despite being by all technicality a Lumarelle state, Sigilhold's architecture is actually more reminiscent of Silkspire's large, pointed cathedrals- except this time they're in all black. It also has some slightly less extravagant areas near the city's edge, with buildings looking somewhat more humble- simple, colonial-style cobble houses. These places are no exception to the all black rule, though. Sigilhold's weather also makes their aesthetics much more ominous. The city is cold and wet, which causes it to almost constantly be shrouded in fog and mist. Scary.
Sigilhold's attachment to the occult is no laughing matter, either. In fact, the whole city operates around it. Most of Sigilhold's population consists of spellcasters and witches who practice occult magic, be it refugees from Verity and Lumarelle or long lines of wizards and witches who have passed their knowledge down for centuries. Many of their practices involve appeasing angered and restless spirits, while also entertaining lingering ghosts that just want to have a good time. Because of this, death is an extremely lax matter in Sigilhold. Because of the many entryways leading to the afterlife here, it's very common for ghosts to come in and out to "haunt" their former home.
In fact, this occurrence is so common that Sigilhold has a festival during each season where they welcome and encourage spirits to walk amongst the living and make merry. Each festival is specific to the season it's held in, but usually involves some sort of feasting and offering to the spirits that participate.Other than that, common occult practices include communing with the dead, spirit divination, and the worship of death. Think Victorian spiritualism to the extreme.
While not a religious city perse, Sigilhold does idolize Aphelia and her connection to death. They often worship her and leave her offerings, mostly including food and clothing. These offerings are left by a giant blank doll made in her image, that takes it's home in the highest room in the main government building of Sigilhold. This building is referred to as The Academy. The name was chosen way back when Sigilhold first came to be, and was used as a place to teach occult magic while the world was recovering from the previous cycle. However, as time moved on and the city expanded it became just a building for government affairs.
Inside The Academy also resides the leaders of Sigilhold. These leaders are a group of powerful witches referred to as The Coven of Fog. Most of these witches are elected by the public, however there is one that is chosen through bloodline. This bloodline is rumored to be connected to Aphelia, but there is no definitive proof of this. This person is usually distinguished with the "Silver Lady" or "Silver Lord" title. The Coven of Fog consists of 9 different witches who are tasked with handling civil affairs and also protecting the city.
Because of its location and controversial nature, Sigilhold faces many threats and dangers from Silkspire and Lumaria. In order to protect themselves and keep their city safe, the Coven of Fog has to put powerful wards around the whole city and its areas. This makes it extremely hard for outsiders to determine the location of the city, and most people who try to find it end up just going in circles in the woods surrounding it.