Alexandros
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The land of Alexandros (also known as the Heartlands) and the city of Alexandria are the prime setting for play on Emblem of Ea. Alexandria is a free-spirited, festive city with lots of atmosphere, culture, exoticism and adventure but it was not always this way.
Today, it's been nearly five hundred since the end of rule by House Aiglos of the Eldanar and the collapse of the Millennium kingdom. Since then, House Alexandros ruled until the end of the old monarchy at the hand of Charn. Prior to this, these lands were of grave importance to the political holdings of the High Artificers though records dating back to that time period are scarce. The end result is a region full of ancient ruins, buried relics and long forgotten artifice.
Alexandros' rich history makes it a target for relic hunters and the target of historians. Visitors come to study the ancient magical city of Genrivia, to quest for the secret passages to Morduzum and Estania, or the lost lands of the ancient elves and dwarves.
Its central position and the strength of its magic landscape makes it coveted by other nations of the world. It is a land characterized by both empty, monster-infested wild lands, places of great natural beauty and thriving centers of industry, trade and exploration that serve as hubs of civilization in what would otherwise be untamed lands. The City of Alexandria is located in the Heartlands in a regional community known as Alexandros.
Nearly seven hundred years has passed since the founding of this active nation!
Local Landmarks
Am'shere Portal: Recently an unearthed stable portal to the distant continent of Jammur and the Jungles of Am’Shere was unearthed. This open portal has caused numerous troubles but has also enabled groups like the Academy of Sages and Explorers Guild to fully sponsor expeditions into the depths of the jungles. On several occasions, strange creatures have wandered through to wreck havoc, including a titanic ‘land-dragon’ that wandered through the area and nearly destroyed the western city walls of Alexandria along with her herd of children. Nevertheless, exploratory efforts continue with the Academy of Sages and Explorers Guild maintaining outposts on both sides of the portal.
Bright Hope (Sunken Hope): A peat-mining town nestled at the edge of a swamp, it was a thriving little community for many years until a black dragon named Uskvutha came to the swamp. With aid from Genrivian kobolds, the town was undermined and collapsed into a sink-hole overnight, resulting in the death of most of the populace. The signs leading to Bright Hope have mostly been vandalized to read Sunken Hope, and nobody has had the heart to correct them.
The Eldwyn: A great vast mosaic forest of a number of mixed species and wildlife with large sprawling sections of forest woodland, evergreen and shrubland. The great depths of which have overgrown ancient cities, cradle forgotten mysteries and embrace the concealing of forgotten magicks and enchantments which it yields only from time to time. Further divided into a number of seperate woodlands given it vast size. Formerly a part of the continental forest belt which included the great Periantha that lies hundreds of miles to the north and the western woodlands of Myrddion. Parts of The Eldwyn include Mythwood, Felwood and the Feywood.
The Eidolon Court: The Eidolon Court was discovered in fall of AR 999 shortly after the festival of the High Hunt and during a season in which orcish Raiders from the Desolation were menacing local commerce. Adventurers were lead, they claimed, to it by divine forces and discovered an intact ancient temple with images and energy devoted equally to all the gods and not just a single god or a single order of gods. Furthermore, while in the Eidolon Court they claimed to be able to hear the sound of music and the words of the gods whispered to them. This effect was later dubbed the Presence and the Music of the Eidolons. The discover prompted a religious upswing in the area as clergy and members of all faiths undertook pilgrimages to the Eidolon Court and archaeologists sought to unlock the mystery of its origins.
Today, recent upheavals have seen its guardians and paladins draw blade and close the Court's borders in efforts to protect it.
The Felwood: Five hundred years ago the great Daemon Wars gripped much of the continent and the taint spread by the princes of darkness corrupted much of the land. It is believed that The Felwood, the north eastern most aspect of the greater Eldwyn Forest, was due to this. A deeper and darker forest then most, a near ever-present mist pervades much of this woodland that grows more and more dangerous after nightfall. Formerly vibrant and beautiful, it resists any efforts to cleanse it and has steadily grown in size, encroaching on safer woodlands and paths in the southern reaches of Eldwyn. Evil festers here in a number of different incarnate forms and a number of ancient secrets have been swallowed up. Attempts by Druids to heal the forest or Rangers to successfully root out wickedness within it tend to fail. In recent years, Myrddion has sponsored ongoing attempts to cleanse the woodland but has met with limited success.
Genrivian Gorge: In the days after the sundering, a group of mages came together to preserve what was left of their magical learning and to rebuild anew a society. This was the first attempt of many to come but it was one that cast a disastrous shadow over those that would follow. For a time, all was well. Genrivia flourished. But it was not long before rot set into its heart and one wizard, named Kiranix, heard the tainted call of Thul's dark blessing. Declaring himself Lich King of Genrivia, Kiranix laid waste to the countryside and slaughtered those would oppose him before finally being struck down by four great heroes, with the aid of a powerful black dragon named Gartangatoth.
It is said that so powerful was the Lich King's essence that he could not be permanently destroyed as other, lesser undead had been. Rather, he and is servitor Mok-Zomat were bound and would remain so for all eternity.
Genrivia itself was leveled in this war and sank beneath the earth in its wake.
Centuries would pass and, in time, the city and its lore would be forgotten were it not for a chance encounter by some Alexandrian Adventurers. In a battle, a chance spell blasted through one of the walls, leading into the chasm that the fallen city had come to rest in, now inhabited by a multitude of creatures -- primarily kobolds.
It is now open to exploration, if you can survive, and has been the source of important archaeological discovers in recent history. With Alexandria's return, work on the ruins has begun again for things that might help stem the tide of darkness... or further them.
Happy Valley: The land that the gnomish township of Happy Valley was built upon was one called Desolation Valley. Gnomes, with their typical cheerfulness, settled the land and declared it was now 'Happy Valley'. For many years, they toiled in the fields, making a meager living from their agricultural trade while they settled in, dealing with whatever problems cropped up from the rugged landscape they had settled in. Few knew, however, the truth that laid beyond the cheerful exterior. Indeed, the gnomes relied on the underestimation of them by their fellows to begin and create one of the larger silver mining enterprises in the region and to solidify their claim on the lands so that it could not be taken from them. Indeed, Happy Valley is now a bustling township based around this and its elder council decides exactly how much of the silver will be sold over a given period, carefully controlling it to maintain maximum profitability.
It is said that the gnomes have an alliance with a local hill giant tribe, unusually, and numerous strange creatures to call upon for assistance should they be troubled. Due to these stories, few do -- and those that have haven't returned.
Indeed, even in this dark age, the gnomes of Happy Valley continued to do quite well and have entered into a burgeoning relationship with their dwarven friends that should serve to benefit both of them -- even possibly to Alexandria's economic detriment.
Mythwood Forest: The Elven forest of Mythwood is an oligarchy that considers itself bound by blood to the elvish queen and court of Llyranost but distant enough from them to retain a sense of autonomy and freedom. Dealings with Llyranost are rare though not turned away when they come for the elven nation is one and not as sundered as many other cultures. An oligarchy, Mythwood is ruled by a council of a few representatives from various small towns built into, above and around the trees of this forestland. Mythwood itself is primarily characterized by its population of Grey and Silvan Elves which contrasts with the normal nomadic behaviors and tendencies of those cultures.
Mythwood came to exist due to elves returning to Estania's ruins and finding evil there and the plundering of the old lore of the elves. Versus risk this from happening again, they weaved a powerful enchantment over the wood, not unlike The Veil of Llyranost. They then established powerful border guards known as The Elven Wardens who existed to protect Estania from plunder and any evil that had gathered in those ruins from effecting other lands. By doing so, they also twisted the roads leading to Morduzum, the ruined dwarven kingdom that once stood side by side Estania. Aluvielethar Ashalveren is the leader of Mythwood, which has several small villages and towns. Ylvaliel (Small City, 4,366) is the border trading town and has the most contact with outsiders. Marniar'nir (Small City, 6,888) is deeper in the forest and is a tree-city of surpassing beauty. A total of five cities comprise the whole of Mythwood with at least two council members from each.
The Redridge Mountains: An enormous mountain range known for it's rustic red colors, overhangs forming roofs over mountain paths, lone spires of rock and ancient shrines left behind by the Eldanar civilization of the ancient Millennium Kingdom. Many of which bear operations and slumbering magics unknown to the knowledge of men. A number of rich mining colonies exist here as well, the most noteworthy of them being Mythril Lode which is a vast colony built into a great sinkhole that extends miles into the earth. Tombs of forgotten kings and ancient passages and roads that lead to the Frontier beyond persist. The mountain range follows the continental divide and anchors itself in a south to north direction, acting as a sort of backbone spine to the region of Alexandros. It's high peaks shield and impenetrable walls shield the nation from adverse conditions that rise up from the depths of The Desolation and refute invasive forces that must cross its passes in order to enter from the east and the south. The range cuts north and west to cradle the northern portions of the Eldwyn Forest and then it diminishes into foothills and rocky terrain of red earth and hardened soil between Alexandros and Bludgun. Roads through here are often fraught with peril as bandits, pirates and monsters use the terrain to their advantage. A number of ancient mysteries abound within these slopes including the ruins of the ancient weapon of artifice known as The Planar-Disjunction Cannon.
Spell Cannon Peak: Discovered by adventurers well-nigh a decade ago now, the Planar Disjunction Engine (or 'Spell Cannon' as it's known to everyone but sages) was an old Kulthian weapon discovered installed within a mountain a day's ride from Alexandria. It was deployed just once, felling Merkabah from the sky just before it reached the city, but in the process the ancient machinery suffered a catastrophic failure resulting in a planar breach to the Elemental Plane of Earth, calcifying and destroying the machine and everything around it. Now nothing more than an interestingly-shaped series of stone carvings, the mountain was kept under watch just in case. During the five year absence of Alexandria, however, the mountain was abandoned, and has become a dangerous place swarming with elementals that seem to be drawn to the site.
Regional History
The central heartlands of Arcania have always been considered regions rich in diversity, magic, history and opportunities for exploration. In ancient times the domain that lay between The Red Ridge Mountains and what would later be known as the nation of Myrddion was full of lush untamed forestlands, sprawling mountain peaks and great rivers and ruled over by dragonkind of a multitude of colors.
"Alexandros" itself is an ancient name referring to the ancient kingdom of Alexandros that was destroyed in the take over by Charn some seventy years ago and of which Alexandria was the former capital. Though the kingdom has not been re-established due to the end of the royal line, Alexandria itself has continued on.
Today, its nobility vie with merchants and visitors from other nations and cities. Its landscape is as varied as its markets, with a history that extends into the first age.
The Ancient Landscape
Alexandros rests on ancient land, a region historically rich with diversity, magic, and history. Long ago the domain that lay between the Red Ridge Mountains and the Vast was covered in untamed forests, sprawling mountain peaks and great rivers. Dragonkind of all colors oversaw this treasured place, and beneath them, a race of humankind struggled to grow.
During the First Age, these humans built temples and made offerings to the many ancient gods who still walked the world in flesh. Aside from their ruins and the occasional tales of seers, little is known of these ancient folk.
At some point, this ancient culture built a great and ancient temple, greater than all others in the area at that time. They centered it in an area touched by the visions of the gods, and used it to commune and to worship. This site today is known as the Eidolon Court.
Eventually, scholars know that the dragons left. The War of the Heavens rocked the world and they were called away as sentinels in divine armies. Maugrim tore from His brother, taking with Him His own pride, and the madness and darkness of the Void, and began a struggle that lasts today.
The divine struggles would reach into ancient Alexandros. Together with the conflagration of divine powers and the loss of its great protectors, the old kingdom was laid to waste. Destruction rained down from the hand of Maugrim and the gods of the underworld as they sought to unmake creation, and rip from the world the power of the Source.
Much knowledge was lost, and the kingdoms of old scattered.
The Settling of the Oruch, Sildanyar, and Khazad
The landscape would become the center of wars a millennium later when the sildanyar would settle it. Seeking to create a second, great civilization beyond the borders of Llyranost, they founded the city of Aranthalas within a realm they called Estania. In those days, the magic of the sildanyar and other, ancient races was mightier than is known today, and with this power they crafted some of the greatest wonders that the world has known.
However, dwarves traveling from Khazad Duin soon moved to the area, and fresh on their mind was the treachery of the mul'niessa. They mistook the inhabitants for their twisted brethren, and so began a war that according to some scholars, may have had Deimos' handiwork behind it.
The war raged for years between them, and eventually, the tribes of the oruch found themselves drawn in, either by the draw of blood or from the effort of defending their territories. War soon overtook the landscape, and this three-way conflict threatened to unravel all three civilizations and all they had wrought.
That all was not lost was due to the efforts of a great elven peacemaker by the name of Ra'Tenniel. He would forge the accords known as The Great Meld which established peace and divided the lands. Under Ra'Tenniel's influence, the sildanyar and khazad found peace, and the oruch became guardians of the wood and wild. They turned their mighty strength upon invaders and monstrous forces and the khazad built the great kingdom of Morduzum beneath the earth.
And yet, as peace progressed, the khazad would delve too far. Ignoring the warnings of their clan elders, they dug more deeply into the stone and earth. Eventually, they came to disturb the lair of the great Black Dragon King, one of the primeval ancient dragons that had fought side by side the twisted god Maugrim in the age of wars. Awakened, the cruel behemoth summoned to him his progeny and also trolls ando ther wicked, poisonous creatures.
The combat came to a close through the intervention of golden dragons, but by this time the land was poisoned and its earth soiled. The khazad retreated and offered sanctuary to the oruch for a time, and the sildanyar fled to the forests.
For three generations the oruch and the khazad held their peace beneath the earth, until an ambitious oruch lord by the name of Kotiphar sought to lay waste to the teachings of Adom. He reached back into the history of the oruch-kind, and came across forbidden names and teachings that the oruch had long forgotten. He embraced them, and swore a pact with fiendish powers, and in doing so transformed his clan into the Daemon-Orcs or the Mogareg.
The war that erupted ended the peace between the khazad and oruch in the land known today as Alexandria for some time, as the khazad who were not killed or slain by these daemon-orcs were sold into slavery or forced to flee northward, bearing tales of betrayal and horror. In the wake of the daemon-souled and damage from the ancient Black Dragon King, the mighty kingdom of Morduzum was no more, and its passages litter the land beneath like catacombs.
The Age of Artifice
The weakened state of then-Estania once again set the stage for the surge of humankind. The round-eared children gathered and gripped their spears, and went to war with the sildanyar over lands and resources. The son of the great negotiator Ra'Tenniel, Silvanos, established a haven for his people north of the human lands. He did so because he saw the war against mankind was one that could not be won, and with the sildanyar out of the way, the humans soon drew their city-states together.
For a time there was peace again.
However, this time was the time of Artificers and the time of Kulthus. The lands of then-Estania were considered backwater and expendable by the Kulthian Aristocracy, who stepped forward in conquest.
As the land's newest conqueror, they appointed a Governor who forbid their use of magic and enforced the laws of the Artificer's City. The Governor would then turn to exploit its natural resources and location to build a terrible weapon. This weapon became known as the Spell Cannon.
The Spell Cannon stood larger than men, and possessed the ability to fire a beam of Mana so powerful that it could sunder the very walls between the planes. Such toys were the power of Kulthos, and when they were torn from their throne by the Sundering, the people of the Alexandros landscape were able to step forward and free themselves once again. The Sundering spread from the great Eidolon Court of ages past--that great structure built now by unknown hands. The rippling effects tore into the ley lines and mana fields across the world, and scored Alexandros for years to come as a result of Kulthos' arrogance.
However, freedom was a difficult process, as for years they had been guided by the Governor, and been forbidden even the most basic education in the arcane arts. Because of this, the region recovered slowly and may have lain stagnant for some time if not for the arrival of pilgrims also fleeing the wrath of the Lords of Artifice. Among these groups were wizards, instructors, and other learned folk. Together, this new mixture of people and races began to lay a foundation to rebuild their cities and homes.
The Crown Wars and Sorceress Wars (Being Updated)
When the Crown Wars began, Alexandros' original position was that of neutrality but their location geopolitically between the continents of Arcania and Vantyre meant that one way or another they would be forced to get involved. Eventually in the name of right and good, Alexandros' current king, Regendus Dan'Alexandros, allowed Myrddion to use their territory as a staging ground for confrontations with Charn but stipulations were involved and the nation's own troops remained largely committed to securing their own borders versus wars in distant lands.
During the year of ascension which was by and large a sacred season for the people of Alexandros, a double tragedy struck the nation. The Great Plague had begun sweeping across all of Arcania. It was likely brought about or encouraged by the destruction of the Crown Wars. Alexandros was not spared the effects of the devastation and the streets of Alexandria were filled with the sound of the suffering and those in mourning. Following on the heels of plague, the war was brought to their very doorsteps. The neighboring nation of Celidun fell to Charn, giving them access to ports across the Inner Seas and following that a mysterious ally of Charn, the Witch|Altima struck the nation of Alexandros. Though expecting such an attack, they were unprepared for the sheer power and ferocity of The Sorceress Queen who wielded magic of unforeseen might and overturned Alexandria's armies with her own assault of beasts, monsters and strange magical-machinery. For two years, Alexandros fought back and resisted and even gained ground but eventually they fell and the king was slain and the nobility of House Alexandros forcibly scattered to the four winds.
The Sorceress Wars (Being Updated)
For fifty years, Altima reigned as Charn's general-queen over the region of Alexandros and she began to scour it for the secrets of the Old World. The elves of Mythwood shut away their forest using their own magic but knew that it was only a matter of time. The dwarves disappeared into the Red Ridge Mountains and other monstrous races soon allied themselves with Altima versus risk destruction. Within Alexandria itself, resistance groups began to form. Myrddion and other nations began to secretly submit to these groups. War-Golems, weapons, magic, soldiers and funding in order to bolster their efforts to battle the queen and destroy her.
For some time, these resistance groups lacked unity until the appearance of a new group who was symbolized by The Scythe as an intention of judgement against Altima and a symbol of the common man; a farmer's scythe. The name of this group was The Phalanx Falcis and their leaders include members of the old noble houses, including a members of house Alexandros which people had believed utterly destroyed up until that moment. When Myrddion had gained enough ground against Charn and pushed that empire back, Charn found that Altima had turned against them due to having stumbled across a means to assure her own power. Now the allied lands turned to the freeing of Alexandros and in the wake of this the Phalanx Falcis' tactics rallied other internal rebel groups and the formation of a people's army began to successfully throw off the shackles of Altima's reign. Her War Golems were destroyed, though the price was heavy, and from the north Myrddion's own armies drove inward and began to destroy the monstrous armies that had long held the land.
But the end did not come until a specialized group of Phalanx Falcis members drove into the heart of Alexandria's castle and after a pitched battle with great losses she was slain by Augustus who wielded a scythe of blazing light. Though they had taken heavy military losses, Myrddion routed the remains of her armies and the Sorceress Wars came to an end. Alexandria City was in ruins, however, and the lands of Alexandros bore the scars of machines, magic and warfare. Myrddion would take Alexandros as a liege land for the purpose of rebuilding it, bolstering its defenses and creating a strong unified presence to protect against would be predators in the aftermath of such a terrible series of wars. Augustus Alexandros - he who would have been king - had vanished.
The Watchful Peace (Being Updated)
Ten years passed and Alexandria still remained under Myrrish control and guardianship but now unrest had developed for the time where the city and nation was due to proclaim it's own sovereignty had come and gone and Myrddion retained control. The old nobility were still scattered and though they wielded power of commerce they lacked true political control. Augustus re-appeared and denounced Myrddion for their activities but when he re-instated the Phalanx Falcis, they were now seen as terrorists and not freedom fighters and their activities grew increasingly dangerous and desperate.
The actions of Augustus ushered in a new era of tension, strife and instability. Augustus attempted to gain the power to overthrow the Myrrish but at the cost of his own sanity and that of those closest to him. When defeated, his actions caused the near destruction of the holy site known as the Eidolon Court and brought in a time when Myrddion and Alexandria, once allies, looked at each other with eyes of distrust.
Such events would reach their peak when the late summer and fall of AR 1003 brought upon the city an event known as the Merkabah Siege. The Eidolon Court was revealed to be the same fountain of divine energy of the days of ancient Kulthus and a surviving High Artificer of those days was revealed to have been posing as the Myrrish Governor and to have been responsible for much of the tensions and policies that had existed.
The Merkabah Siege, wherein the floating fortress-city of Merkabah was raised from the sea and an army of constructs and undead and cult members of The Illuminated Order descended on Alexandria, brought about a great change in the region. Much of the city was destroyed and many lives were lost but in the end, Saluven the High Artificer was defeated and Merkabah crashed into the mountains beyond the city. The following winter, during an international summit that discussed these things, Myrddion agreed to restore full sovereignty back into the hands of Alexandros' ruling merchants, guild leaders and remaining nobility and the confederacy known as the Argent League was formed.
The War for Sendor
Recently, hostilities between Myrddion and Stormgarde led to open warfare and then the empire of Bludgun took advantage of this and attacked the Myrrish nation of Sendor, conquering it and beginning a new season of warfare. At first this seemed to have little impact on Alexandros which again sought to maintain a distant stance out of necessity for needing to rebuild in the aftermath of the Merkabah Siege - but this could not be maintained as Bludgun, near to her borders, continued to threaten the land and refugees from Sendor poured, creating difficult living conditions. Finally, after an attempted hostile take over of the city perciptated by mercenaries implanted in Alexandria under the pretense of coming to her aid, Alexandros declared open hostilities against Bludgun.
Joining with Myrrish forces, Alexandrian Irregulars marched into Sendor to reclaim it and free the slaves who had been held under Kinnevack the ogress. Their rush withdrew crucial support from the newly liberated Blar, which fell--and many of the hobgoblin refugees fled to Alexandria, or being a military race with recent hostility against Bludgun, aided in the organization of forces in Sendor.
The armies' march through Sendor is the tale of bards. They triumphed over Fort Gettys, then rescued the damned city of Versis from rampant demons before reaching Sendor's capital, Vinas Solmnus.
Eventually the war drew to a close--combined forces smashed the Brazen Drum, one of Kinnevack's torture prisons before rampaging against the city walls. The victors returned home to Alexandria with hope-filled hearts, as well as the new burden of refugees, and friends and family who saw their loved ones for the first time in years.
And then it went wrong.
Present Day
Alexandria, and the Myrrish King, vanished at the end of the War for Sendor. Locals claim that during a period of five years there was no sight of the city of Alexandria and that a gray mist prevented investigation into the area. Scholars attribute the happenings to the chaos of the times and potentially the dark goddess Taara. Regardless, where it has been five years for the rest of the world--to the re-appeared Alexandria, it appears as though Sendor's victory was just yesterday.
To the rest of the world, however--it was not.
People
In general the people of Alexandros (and more specifically, Alexandria) consider themselves the major cosmopolitan power of this part of the world. The people who dwell within it know that Alexandria has become something of a marvel and is so life in it is at least better, if not more bizarre then most places in the world. Although not completely jaded or plagued by the 'Nothing New Under The Sun' way of thinking, the color, atmosphere and festive pace of the city causes the local inhabitants to be more tolerant of different beliefs, races and cultures then most areas of the world.
Alexandria benefits from an excellent harbor, the protective embrace of the High Kingdom of The West, a powerful magical school, several prominent temples, an active sea harbor and a bustling air-station which in turn contributes to artifice, industry and technology. It is said by some that if you look hard enough, you will find that Alexandria contains at least one of everything. Tolerance is a virtue here though some age old prejudices to continue to exist. People are not allowed to conduct themselves in a manner that is harmful to other races and the centuries, sometimes millennia, long history of violence and ill doings by some causes even the most well meaning of their races to be scrutinized and watched closely. The sight of a sith'makar mercenary or an oruch dock worker is not impossible though still exotic when witnessed but generally the more known a race is to be uncivilized the more the city guard will keep them under close watch.
Races: Predominantly human, Alexandria's view of the rest of the world is seen through human eyes and human eyes of a primarily western philosophy and way of thinking. Human culture here shares many similarities with nations such as Dragonier, Myrddion and areas of The Vast. One could say that Alexandrians are far worldlier then these other lands and that they value their freedom more. There are still a few elderly humans who can still remember when Altima's armies broke through the city gates and rushed through the streets and many more can remember the accords with Myrddion.
Humans comprise the bulk of Alexandria and so control most of the commerce and their viewpoints on things color Alexandria's laws, morality, justice system and general hierarchy of politics and government. Dwarves are not an impossible sight in Alexandria due to the presence of the industrial district and the fact that Alexandria grew out of a mining settlement and those mines are still functional. Many dwarves work in the number of smithies and foundries that line the Industrial District or work with the magitech equipment that provides Alexandria with what magical energy it has.
Elves are a much rarer occurrence within the city. Sometimes the streets of the High Quarters contain the arrival and progression of elvish dignitaries from lands as far away as Llyranost but few elves actually move to settle here outside of adventurers seeking to make a name for themselves or elves summoned here for missions by their superiors. Otherwise, elven kind tends to view Alexandria like they do most of the major human cities, seeing it as overcrowded and over indulgent in many ways.
The small folk of the world - being Gnomes, Halflings and Gobbers - also find much to do in Alexandria. Sections of the Southwest side have been taken over by groups of Goblins that migrated to the city for reasons known only to them. Halflings are often scattered throughout various parts of the city and Gnomes typically congregate themselves near the Guild Centric areas near the Academy of Sages or in the Industrial Row.
Regarding exotic and monstrous races, Alexandria has at one point in time seen them all with the exception of the truly rare and exceptional. Sith-makar caravans from enclaves in Am'shere are a seasonal occurrence as explorers and traders with their great thunder-lizard mounts sometimes enter the city to barter and trade.
Daily Life: Daily Life in Alexandria is rarely boring but not necessarily difficult. A bustling center of trade, commerce, different races and a central headquarters for many guilds, living in the city provides for a plethora of events and situations. The warm climates and comfortable springs and hot summers mean that much activity is spent outdoors though to be certain there is much to do within the colorful buildings that dot the area. Alexandrian families share a closeness that many other settlements lack. The humans here have been through much within the past three generations and those who have survived and continued on have close bonds with one another, born from battle, loss of freedom and revolution. Alexandrian society is not as patriarchal as some societies although men are expected to be the breadwinners of a given household. The women are allowed the same rights as men are but girls are typically raised to assume their expected roles as women of western society.
Food and drink in Alexandria tends to vary from common to more exotic than most have the stomach for. The number of diverse races that travel through here for various reasons force the different taverns to either adapt or bar certain races from coming there. For the typical Alexandria, meals tend to be full and hearty with roasted meat, sharp cheese, stews and berries being plentiful. The dense forestland is prime hunting ground for a number of hunters and so there is no short supply of various forms of venison. For the hearty, cooks specialized in preparing Orc-Style meals, baking dwarven Stonebread or brewing Dwarven Spirits do exist and are willing to challenge a daring connoisseur of foreign foods.
Festivals and Entertainment: For more information on festivals, see the Calendar.
Life and Society
In terms of Alexandros as an entire region, it is largely a land of great hills, lonely forests, high moors, towering mountains and monster infested areas with pockets of strong civilized areas and well maintained roads cutting through this land and providing areas of sanctuary. Despite the dangers of living here the farmers, frontier folk, walled city dwellers and other hardy souls are strong and independent enough to carve out successful lives here on the edge of what is called The Frontier. There are dozens of walled cities, enclaves, farm towns, monasteries, fortified strongholds and more that call Alexandros home. Chief of these is Alexandria City itself, the Lord's City over the domain, retaining its role as capital despite the dissolution of the Old Kingdom at Altima's and later Myrddions hands.
In-between these centers of trade and thriving and bustling areas of activities are stretches of wild lands occupied by savage species and dotted with ruins and remnants of the previous ages and recent wars. As result, Alexandros welcomes ambitious explorers and adventurers as treasure troves of high and dangerous magic, nests of powerful and perilous monsters and ruins and mines that require mapping and excavating are an ongoing occurrence. Secondly the adventuring community tends to bring a sense of protection that the everyday armed forces of various cities and even Myrddion does not always offer. It is the adventurers who often willingly go in and root out infestations of trolls and ogres, rescue the farmers son from cannibalistic gnolls or offer exotic protection to caravans on both land, sea, and air that the normal armed forces do not provide.
One aspect of life in the frontier is the fact that it is often changing. Orc tribes move through the area at times, sometimes raiding, sometimes proposing tenants of honor and balance and sometimes just being general troublemakers. Trouble in nearby Bludgun has caused one tribe of Orcs to even settle in Alexandros itself and seek sovereignty within their own established domain. Their arrival certainly has affected trade routes, hunting territory and established borders and is just one example of how things change and change rapidly in terms of Alexandros.
The people of the heartlands tend to be stubborn, independent and proud of their abilities to thrive in challenging environments. One might say that there is a bit of a division between the people who dwell in the bustling centers of civilization such as Alexandria and the people who dwell in the trading outposts, farming communities and frontier towns which are clearly the majority of settlements. The people of the frontier consider those who dwell in the walled communities to be somewhat soft and given over to complacency. During the era of Altima, many of the rebel groups were formed by the people of the frontier and farming settlements while those in the cities were under guard and slaved away to sate the needs of the Witch Queen.
Nevertheless, despite all of this one might say that both city dwellers and folk in the frontiers tend to share the traits of friendliness to strangers. Each traveler, adventurer and merchant is seen as a potential allies and patron, customer and neighbor and even allies in a fight. Even those who enjoy the splendors of a city as well favored as Alexandria are often reminded that nothing is impenetrable and perfect and even though that Orc over there with the arms the size of your head may look frightening, he's probably a good ally to have.
Plot Information
Editor's Note: We're still working on fleshing out these sections as we go. PI sections will contain stock descriptions, and suggestions for encounters, as well as other items that may be helpful. In the meantime, please bear with us. There's alot of ground to cover!
Setting the Mood
Alexandria sets itself apart from other locations by its thriving sense of invention, its history, and its politics. The Skygate stands testament to its inventive achievements as well as its central place in world trade. Its history arcs back to the days when gods roamed the earth, and beneath the great city of Alexandria and the land of Alexandros lie the ruins of vast civilizations.
A modern-day comparison of the city might be Greece or Venice rather than Rome. It sits between giants, on a fertile landscape. It's become a melting pot of cultures as well as, over history, a hotly contested landscape.
Recent events have painted Alexandria as both a place of controversy and as a last hope. Throngs of refugees still come to the city and to the lands of Alexandros, both as a curiosity and as a place to seek answers, to seek refuge from the chaos the world became in five short years.
There will always be tension between Alexandria and her surrounding lands as well. The needs of the outlying areas, the farming landscapes, the forests and woods will always be at odds with the metroplex. However, what unifies Alexandros may be its sense of pride.
Descriptions
City Description (from an airship): For there it is! Alexandria City, the Lord's City Alexandros and one of the magitech industrial centers of the western world. Nestled against the southern slopes the mountains that bisect the heartland regions and facing south towards the rolling sea, the city seems to both gleam with festivity and energy as much as it smolders and toils with industry and commerce in a sort of strange duality that colors its entire atmosphere.
From above it has the look of a multi tiered wedding cake with its varying districts built along the descending slopes of the mountain sides. A vast outer war encircles the city proper, separating it from the varying outlying miniature towns that have sprung up outside of its walls. Closer to the mountains a second wall towers up encircling the towering structures of the government buildings and the castle district and it is this wall, with it's immense circular airship gate gleaming of wood, gold and mithril, and emblazoned with the soaring eagle of House Alexandros, that the airship races towards.
The skyline is dotted with ships. Some massive military vessels, others two man gnomish junkships that look ready to go down any---WHOOPS-there goes one now. A pair of gnomish merchants go careening into the river with their wares scattering about everywhere in the process. Your airship sails on by, uncaring.
Encounters
| Am'shere Portal | Warm Forest | The area around it is magically influenced by the constant gateway and jungle-based critters native to Am'shere could be justified as slipping in for the purposes of any given plottage. The area tends to be heavily patrolled by druids of both Alexandria and Am'shere to prevent cross-contamination, which can also be used. |
| Bright Hope (Sunken Hope) | ||
| The Eldwyn | Forest Temperate | The Eldwyn refers to the central and northern Eldwyn as the Felwood. Deepwood and Mythwood are all technically parts of the Eldwyn, so will have similar creatures (save where noted below). |
| The Eidolon Court | Underground (low level dungeon on the outskirts) | Expect mid-to-high level encounters if digging around the Court itself. The surroundings can be considered All Planar Terrain due to the Celestial Gate (currently inactive).
The forest around The Eidolon Court should be the same as the Forest Temperate. Within the Eidolon Court itself, monsters are rarely encountered. However, the Eidolon Court sits in the middle of an ancient ruined city. This city is only partially uncovered by the forest and there would be numerous underground chambers and hidden caches yet to be discovered. |
| The Felwood | Temperate Forest, mildly Planar (Abaddon, which is equivalent to our Outlands), Abyss (Our Abyss), and Hell (Our Iron Hells) | The Felwood is a corrupted section of the Eldwyn Forest. Exposure to large, moving gaps and tears to the lower planes have damaged this forest, creating a separate ecology from the rest of the Eldwyn. Furthermore, occasional extraplanar beings slip through, some to the point of there being visible clashes between opposing forces of evil (Law and Chaos normally), and skirmishes. Dedicated work by Mythwood Rangers, Adventurers and Alexandrian forces keep things in check but anything likely CR 10 and under is possible to slip through, while more dangerous creatures are more rare, due to efforts. |
| Genrivian Gorge | Underground, Forest Temperate | Encounters here play to the established, unique quirks of Genrivia such as the kobold society and the Beholder. Ropers are not unknown. |
| Happy Valley | Temperate Plains, Hills Temperate, Urban | Mostly known as a gnomish community, xorns and hill giants have been spotted here. |
| Mythwood Forest | Forest Temperate, Urban (Mythwood's cities, Swamp and Warm Mountains, Aranthalas Ruins and Poisoned lands) | Creatures aligned with fey might also be plentiful due to the sildanyari and associations with Quelynos. |
| The Redridge Mountains | Hills Temperate, Forest Temperate and Mountains Temperate and Coastline Temperate | On the eastern side things change to Mountains, Warm and Hills, Warm on the descent to the Desolation borders. |
| Spell Cannon Peak | Forest Temperate, Planar Earth (but any Planes are justifiable as the Spell Cannon operated by ripping open Planar walls and then sending a shockwave out from the resulting collapse) | Any creature from any planes could have slipped in even though it's been dormant for approximately 11 years Game Time (6 years + the 5 year gap). Otherworldly creatures will be the most plentiful, given the Cannon's history. Of the elementals, earth will be the most plentiful, though there may be constructs leftover from the Illuminated Order War. |