Gentle reliefs between the mountains and the lowland desert host an ancient land of prophecies and riches. The bright sun illuminates the high towers of the Kasmian Civilization, beacons in the night for merchants and travellers.
Arkaia is a land of cultural ferment and encounters, positioned in a strategic valley for trade. The lighthouse town of Thuralas, the centre of the region, boasts of being the oldest place on the continent, allowing access to the ancient Shrine of Al-Kasm. The shrine and the lighthouse are said to have been built on the first landfall of the seer-gods of Narrantis on the continent, and their construction predates humanity itself.
The humans who dominate these lands are loyal only to their beloved and most diverse city-states, perpetually fighting each other for prestige and control of trade.
These city-states, also identified as citadels, are generally well fortified with large towers made as high as possible to signify the prestige of the factions, which are organised in the most original and different ways, all respecting the rules of the Kasmian League. The Rules are few and simple Respect the other citadels of the region, even in times of war. Respect the Oracle of Al-Kasm and participate in its upkeep.
There are also other traditions, more or less respected:
It is customary for the “ecist” or founder of a citadel to propose to the Oracle of the region some monument to be built, before the founding: be it a great temple, a garden, an arena or a library that can benefit the League.
Another custom is that everyone, even non-religious people, respect the rare words of the Oracle, in the rarest cases in which this requires the cessation of hostilities due to an event of force majeure.
Any title except that of Emperor is permitted initially.
Kasmian Human and Tiefling cultures are dominant in the region.
Factions in this region are free to follow any religion, as long as they respect the Oracle of Al-Kasm.
The most widespread races are the Human and the Tiefling ones, banning them is discouraged.
The area is a melting pot of different races and is famous for biculturalism. Both the native humans (the Arkaians) and the Tieflings contribute to the culture of the region, made up of bazaars, temples and wandering charlatans of all kinds.
The most common factions of Arkaia are undoubtedly its Citadels or Poleis. These meeting places were first founded by the humans of the region: the famous Arkaians with olive complexions, dark hair and eyes.
The Arkaians began to wage war in the region, driving the Merfolk back into the jungle swamps and reclaiming territories by building tall fortified coloured towers, around which small villages were built. They then annexed the villages with walls and more towers to form an urban landscape.
The Citadels are lands of trade and markets, rich in spices, goods and travellers of all kinds, open to every type of business. They are governed in very different ways: we remember both Citadels with one ruler or more, and others governed by the city aristocracy, or even by a democracy.
These factions, all claiming to be independent and unique, are the backbone of Arkaia and some of them even go so far as to project great political and military influence across the entire continent.
Examples of popular names are:
male: Orion, Zephyr, Aristides, Xander, Leander
female: Daphne, Penelope, Maya, Calliope, Ariadne
alternatively
Examples of popular names are:
male: Javar, Siraj, Sumayl, Majilad, Darras
female: Mahja, Safya, Auriya, Suna, Halwa
Many centuries ago, in the age of myth, Merfolk and Tieflings flocked to these monumental complexes to pay tribute to the Primal and Abyssal gods.
Temples typically had intricate underground labyrinths, with secret chambers and passages. These wondrous places were then fortified with towers and walls to function as real cities, in which only the initiated knew how to move in the maze of the tall buildings, and the non-initiated could only become worried and bow with respect before the majesty of the temple-cities, symbol of the power of Arkaia.
Examples of popular names are:
male: Orion, Zephyr, Aristides, Xander, Leander
female: Daphne, Penelope, Maya, Calliope, Ariadne
alternatively
Examples of popular names are:
male: Javar, Siraj, Sumayl, Majilad, Darras
female: Mahja, Safya, Auriya, Suna, Halwa
Magicians and travelling scholars from many places have gathered in the past among the lands of Arkaia, erecting high towers filled with volumes and knowledge of all kinds, directly consulting Al-Kasm and the wisdom of the ancient places.
Born as enlightened places of knowledge and meeting, some Library Towers ended up uniting and fortifying their territories in the Age of Myth to also form monumental complexes dedicated to the Empyrean gods, in opposition to the temple-cities.
Generally, however, these factions fight only for their own independence and above all seek peace and asceticism through reading and meditation, receiving the respect of all the other city-states of the League.
Examples of popular names are:
men: Ember, Alioth, Alkaid, Castor, Sirius.
female: Vega, Rigel, Sidra, Aster, Andromeda.