THE KINGDOMS OF WISTERIA

The Kingdoms of Wisteria are a small country, built right against the winding river that cuts through the center of the Garden. The region is reknown for its unique and magical landscape, absolutely abloom with all kinds of blossoms almost year-round. The country itself is full of a blend of meadows and grasslands, as well as woodlands dense with trees and all sorts of creatures that can't be found anywhere else. It's widely believed by many that the area is touched by the Spring Court of fae, being a place where the veil between the two realms is especially thin. This leads to the aforementioned abundance of flora.

The region has always prided itself on being a country comprised of people seeking peace, with a desire to maintain strong relationships with the surrounding countries who mean well, and fiercely protect the people who reside inside the country's borders. They welcome anyone seeking asylum from any sort of catastrophe, and have poured much of their energy over the course of their history into making their country habitable and comfortable especially for their most vulnerable residents.

The Kingdoms of Wisteria were originally scattered populations of people residing inside the forests and meadows of the Eastern Garden. The village which eventually developed into the capital was founded by a girl of the same name, seeking refuge from her abusive family. She built herself a house to live in with her wife, and finding the land was rich and fertile, invited her friends and their family to survive there with her. The small commune became a village, which eventually became a city, which became a kingdom. They were not the only ones who did this- the other villages which formed at around the same time were eventually absorbed as the "ruling families" that made their home in the now-capital. While the early history of Wisteria was rife with some conflict between the many competing villages, they realized their strength as a unified force when they were forced to unite against a common enemy- the corrupted Fae King of the Spring Court.

The Springtime War was the event which caused the many factions of this region to unite. After an unknown force corrupted the Fae King that ruled over the Spring Court, he began to spread a blight across the lands, turning the plants and animals which came in contact with it into horrid monsters. The food and water became tainted, unsafe to consume, and his corrupt fae underlings began attacking the people of Wisteria indiscriminately. Allying with the untainted Fae which sought to repair their homeland, the people of Wisteria were able to defeat the corrupt Fae king and restore the land to what it once was. The Spring Court has since maintained good relations with the people of Wisteria and ensure the health and success of agriculture and wild flora in the area.

Well understood to be the capital city of this region, Wisteria is the seat of government for the fae-touched kingdom. The city is known for the beauty of their natural landscape, as well as its use of its abundant plant life in its economy and cultural practices. Additionally, it's notable for its pacifism and the importance they place on taking care of the citizens of their kingdom. Wisteria itself is a large and sprawling city, which is composed of castles, stonework buildings, and sprawling gardens towards its center, with humble cottages and farmlands at its perimeter. It's built in the center of a large, hilly grassland, rich with flower-filled meadows at the center of a dense forest. A river divides the city in half.

As formerly stated, Wisterian culture is well known for their strong emphasis on the use of flowers in their day to day life- and, while religion is not of utmost importance to Wisterian peoples, almost acts as a sort of religious belief stemming from their appreciation for the gifts given to them by the Fae after the Springtime War. Herbal teas are an important part of their practices, with a unique tea party with its own set of rules appropriate for almost every occasion. Tea parties are the traditional response to any sort of celebration, whether it be a wedding, festival, important business meeting, etc. The Wisterian Royal Family even hosts a public tea party in the royal gardens, in which they discuss current events and get a feel for what the public wants to see from their leaders. In addition to their tea, these flowers and spices can also be found in their cooking and baking. Their foods are highly aromatic and chock full of spices. Reflecting the importance of food, cafes, bakeries, and restaurants are abundant within the city and are common places to spend leisure time.

They are also somewhat modest people, and they enjoy using social games and complex methods of speaking in lieu of being straightforward, especially in romantic situations, seeing blunt statements of affection as crass at worst, and boring at best. They instead employ an in-depth flower language, and courting through methods other than specially curated bouquets given at the proper moments is highly uncommon. A good amount of their culture also stems from their affection for fae- playing games of speech rather than being straightforward being just one example. This can be seen even down to the way they dress. While they dress much more modestly than a fae would, they value pastels and vibrant colors like those you find on the dresses of fae and in nature, and love utilizing complex and colorful patterns.

Wisteria does their best to maintain good relationships with surrounding countries, and one of the major ways they do this is by trading freely with those who treat them well- a good example being the country Rimellion. Being a hotbed for strange plant and animal life, a large portion of Wisteria's economy is based on alchemy and the sale and trade of alchemical reagants that can't be found in any other areas of the world- highly sought after by Mirradein's wizardly scholars. There are many alchemy shops that can be found within the bustling market district of the city, making Wisteria a common places for wizards who can't afford the lavish life offered by Mirradein to set up shop. Witches disgraced by Lumaria also find their way to the city on occasion, though this is much less common. Wisteria has a so-called "Mage's District" dedicated to catering to and housing these sorts of individuals.

Much of the country's protection is granted to them by these mages which call the city home, as well as by the order of knights loyal to the royal family. Wisteria's people have very high morale due to the high quality of life given to them by the city, and as such, people are exceptionally willing to defend it. The Wisterian Order- the name given to the highest ranking members of the military, comprised of mages and knights alike- is known for their chivalry and dedication to honor and compassion for their fellow man. They hold themselves to very strict ideals, and act according to a rigorous code of social and moral conduct.

Wisteria is ruled over primarily by the Wisterian royal family, however, there are a number of noble families that control the many trades the city has to offer; the most powerful of which being based in teas and spices, alchemical supplies, and artistry. These families are extremely important to life in Wisteria and influence much of the politics within the city/kingdom, as well as the city's culture due to the great sway they have over the contry's economy. These noble families are so important, and so affluent, that the Wisterian Royal family is typically humbler and closer to the common people than many of the trade families- likely because the royals concern themselves greatly with the lives of their citizens, whereas the trade families are mostly concerned with making a profit, much to the royals' disdain. There is an ongoing struggle for power between the royals and the noble families.

Primrose is a small city/kingdom just south of Wisteria, with a small number of satellite towns and villages under its jurisdiction. Primrose has devoted itself to all things art and beauty, becoming a center for tourism that seeks to draw people in with its decadence and its obsession with the performing arts. They are also quite devoted to Primula, the goddess of spring for which the city was named, and Nastya, the god of love.

The city was, in its heyday, the centerpoint of a kingdom at the outskirts of the Wisterian territories, who was a close ally to the capital city. The city historically was quite jovial and easygoing, and had a huge and marked interest in theatre and musical performing arts such as dance and opera. They welcomed visitors and encouraged the flow of people bringing new kinds of music and stories inside and out of the city. It was a safehaven for bards, and all manner of traveling performers, and even hosts (to this day) the largest Bard's College in the world (much to the chagrin of Mirradein's Court of Charms).

However, after Santaresa set its sights on the vast wealth of resources housed within the Wisterian Kingdom, Primrose underwent a long and strenuous occupation by Santaresam troops, under which the city was used as a midway point between their home country and Wisteria. The city during this time began to adopt much of the practices of Requimosa, and though they have long since become liberated, much of that influence can still be felt today. They have an understanding of wealth and class unique from other Wisterian territories, and their devotion to maintaining aesthetic beauty and glamor is very similar to that of Requimosa.

The city's population is known to be snobbish, and even pretentious at times, with a very strong divide between the upper and lower classes. These classes have a unique way in which they interact with the city's culture of art and music. The affluent upper class are often considered the trendsetters, utilizing their wealth to influence what is seen as beautiful, and valuing those who can follow the ever-changing trends. However, many of these trends set by the upper class are no more than vain attempts at exercising their wealth. Those who are unable to keep up with the volatile trend cycle are often shunned from these "more-respectable" social circles, and are painted as unkempt or entirely unconcerned with their image. The more affluent citizens of Primrose have even gone so far as to take action against the affairs of the lower class- of course, there is no way to truly outlaw their activities, but often they find ways to prevent the meeting of these people to make art which they consider "degenerate." There was even a period of prohibition within the city, in which alcohol was outlawed in an attempt to "legalize" busting the lower class's underground music clubs. They also have control over a majority of the city's newspapers and radio stations, making their interpretation of Primrose's art and beauty the one that reaches most people outside of the Wisterian Kingdom.

Despite this somewhat dismal outlook of artistic pursuits in the city, Primrose is still a legitimate hotbed for art and especially for fashion. Despite the upper class's push to prevent any art they don't personally consider "beautiful," there is no shortage of people here who create with passion. In recent times, many members of the lower class, as well as scholar's from the Bard's College have been pushing for the reformation of the city's culture back into what it once was. Travelers- even those less fortunate- are being welcomed into the city and hosted by the College, allowing for the free exchange of creative energy once more.

Primrose is somewhat circular and divided into four districts. The inner circle is the largest district, called the Rosette district, and is dedicated to government operations and a majority of the housing for Primrose's residents. The other three districts are the Gold, Red, and White districts, and are dedicated respectively to visual arts, theater and music, and fashion. Of course, these mediums do have their overlap, but the biggest facilities for each are in their assigned districts.

The city, like Wisteria, is a fairly traditional monarchy- in some ways, even moreso. The rulers of Primrose are much stricter in regards to who they allow to enter the monarchy, and marriages between the crown royals are often arranged by their parents. Primrose royals have high standards for their monarchy, and are expected to be exemplary artists themself- any royal who is not is considered a failure. As such, more often than not the royals become celebrities in addition to political leaders. The current royals are Queen Angela Genovese-De Lucia and Queen Stella Genovese-De Lucia. Queen Angela is a renowned painter, while Queen Stella is a former fashion model for a famous designer.

Honeybell is a small farming town in the Wisterian countryside. It's known for its namesake apiaries and miles of rich farmland. This city is the primary supplier of food for many places within Wisteria and to its allies. Life in Honeybell on the surface is extremely simple and typical to what you would expect from a farming village.

Unknown to most people is the fact that Honeybell is also a refuge for sentient undead to seek shelter from places who would ostracize them, such as Silkspire or Lumaria. It's generally considered a truly safe and ethical place to learn necromancy to those who are in the know- very much unlike Lorradein.