Organizations

Now in addition to the ruling powers, there will also be a small list of guilds. For now it will just be the human guilds.

The Fortes Kingdom is ruled by man, and is based within Elementorum. Because mankind originated within the fifth world, it is their right through origin to hold dominion over it. For ten thousand years, the kingdom has grown and prospered, by now becoming one of the most well respected kingdoms within the five worlds. They have grown far and wide over Elementorum, establishing several cities centered around their capital. Like the Merfolk, they have special academies built to train those with magic, with each young wizard recieving a master. Mankind also enjoys having one of the largest military forces, tieing with the Basilisks and falling behind the Golems. Their relations with other races range from good to strained; Their relations with the Merfolk and Sidhe created a beneficial alliance, one built on mutual respect and trade. Basilisk and Human relations are strained due to attacks by raiders and bandits on human settlers within Ignis, which the ruling Shenlong Dynasty refuses to impede. Relations between Humans and Golems tend to be limited, as the Golems do not need to trade with other races. However, as with others they do acknowledge their power and existence, and have been willing to trade pieces of their craftsmanship with other races. Human-Lupine relations are strained as well, though it has less to do with raids, and more to do with racism. While yes, the Merfolk and Sidhe look different from humans and the Lupine look somewhat similar, Humans tend to view Lupine as savages for their lifestyle as, at least in the eyes of most humans, as savages, animals. Add to it the fact that Lupine are capable of breeding with humans (albeit with slim chances of an actual birth) and it has led to certain stories, none of which paint the Lupine in a favorable light. The capital of Fortes shares the same name as the Fortes Kingdom (Fortes) while the other six are named Gemini (a city split in half by a river), Prylea (located within valley in the western mountains), two southern coastal cities Aeledge and Valbush, Morbank located near the eastern edges of known territory, and Vertwall in the north.

The Shenlong Dynasty, the empire built by the Basilisks, is the ruling force within Ignis. They named their dynasty after their dragon god, the elder dragon for Ignis. There are only three cities, with Shenlong in the center. Each of their cities is named after one of the great dragons living in Ignis (Shenlong, Nar'Rexxus, and Hyaran).

The Sidhe Court, ruled by the Sidhe. They rule through a council of four members, the four being the leaders of the largest islands in Aeris. The capital of Aeris, where the Court convenes, is called the Chandelier, a collection of floating islands gathered together around one central island, held together through bridges. There are several other islands apart from the Chandelier, large enough to house a community of several thousands. Each island tends to have a trend in games, clothing styles, mannerisms, and so on, all acting like different major locations in a country. (See your chicago vs New York vs Miami vs Portland) All of them get along fairly well, with only a few instances of any actual fighting or disturbences coming from friction between lifestyles. All of the Sidhe living here generally live on the top and sides of their own island, with bridges and buildings being built as population grows. Only a small minority of these communities ever live on the direct underside of the floating rocks, due to reasons of safety and local tales, and perhaps just general societal feelings. So far, only the Chandelier spans multiple islands, but several of the larger communities have expressed interests in doing so as well. While powerful, the court prefers neutrality when it comes to the affairs of the other kingdoms, preferring to only trade with them. They share certain qualities with the human kingdom, such as their style in weapons, armor, and buildings. In addition to the Chandelier, the Faerie Court maintains four other cities in the sky (Icarus, Magnus, Theron, and Obadon).

The Aquarius Empire was founded and is still ruled by the Merfolk, who rule their underwater kingdom from their great city, Urbs Aquarum. Despite their sizeable army, they have never had much need for it short of putting down violent rebellions and diverting the occasional leviathan. Content with the vast ocean floor to call home, they rarely venture to the surface unless it is to interact with other races. Despite their strength and talent for magic, they know how to use politics better than any other race, short of rare individuals who know how to play the same game. In addition to Urbs Aquarum, there are three other cities, both of slightly smaller size: Fossa, and Monass, both of which remain on the ocean floor, and Ornesse. Ornesse is the only Aquarius city to be above water, due to the fact that nearly two centuries ago the ground it was built upon had been lifted up to the surface by a tectonic shift. Much of the city was damaged, and many of the denezins either dead or injured. Despite this Ornesse remains a Merfolk city, however many other races are fully capable of walking its streets.

The Stone Empire is ruled by the Golems, deep below the surface of Terra, their entrances located in the sides of mountains, tunnels that go deep below and into their depths. Carving out massive caverns, Golems have constructed large underground cities, some of the large ones actually forming pillars that help keep the caverns from collapsing. Unlike other races, they don't eat normal food, such as meat or vegetables. Instead, they consume rocks, to replenish materials in their bodies they lose from sheer movement. As a race, they have a reputation for being peerless architects, artisans, and blacksmiths.

As a race, the Lupine have no real kingdom, instead living scattered amongst Terra, Elementorum, and Aeris in tribes, or "Packs" as they prefer to call it. Each pack remains in one area though they move around now and then, with their leadership shared between an Alpha Male and an Alpha Female. The male is in charge of defending the pack from outside threats that go beyond hunting, and while it is under the leadership of a male, females may still join if they show acceptable skill. For the Alpha Female, it is her job to work as a priestess, communing with the goddess, Larentia, as well as lead and train the healers and settle any disputes within the pack. It is also common for the Alpha Female to have magic, as it is believed that those with magic were blessed by Larentia and are capable of communing with her.

And now for the Guilds.

Blades of Valor (Warrior/Fighter Guild)

The Blades of Valor are the largest, most well respected guild of mercenaries in the Fortes Kingdom. While they are mercenaries, they live by a strict code of honor, and refuse jobs that involve attacking towns, settlements, anything where the target is really a group of civilians. As they are located within the Fortes Kingdom, they are exclusively a human guild. Magic is not banned, however the sole use of magic (in this case only ever using magic to do anything) is considered weak, and without honor. However Spellswords are welcome as they still use weapons.

When attempting to join the guild, a candidate must prove their worth in a trial. All trials revolve around proving that the candidate is a skilled fighter, and is one who fights with honor.

The Unseen (Thieves Guild)

The Unseen are a group of master thieves and their apprentices, who esentially steal from the wealthy of the Fortes Kingdom. While there is generally no honor among thieves (The Unseen not being an exception) the group has certain codes. When it isn't a job they've been hired for, they don't steal from those who have less than they need. They won't kill unless necessary as deaths by their blades would draw unwanted attention. And whatever you steal, a cut of it goes to the coffers of the guild (a small cut compared to your own take). While all members are capable of fighting, it is the opinion of the guild that if you've been caught in the open and have to fight, then you are not a master thief. It is not grounds for expulsion, though personal respect goes down, and the member loses a bigger cut of their take for the next ten jobs they pull. Trying to hoard more gold from the guild is not disapproved so long as the member in question isn't caught hoarding. Despite being located within the Fortes Kingdom, they have locations in human towns in Terra, Aeris, and Aqua. Setting roots in Ignis is made difficult due to the raids destroying towns and many tend to avoid it. This diversity in locations has also led to a diversity in members. There are humans, Lupine, even some Sidhe and Merfolk. So long as the job gets done and you respect the guilds rules, doesn't matter what race you belong to.

Shadow-Walkers (Assassin's Guild)

The Shadow-Walkers are a collection of professional killers, who have two different groups comprising the entire organization. One side, those who kill their targets through use of weaponry, are known as the Executioners. On the other side, those that kill through more subtle means (causing fatal accidents, poisoning, anything that doesn’t require straight up stabbing or shooting the target) are known as Ghosts. No matter which side a member is classified as though, the rules remain the same: always kill the mark, never get caught, and never endanger the guild. Failure to comply usually ends in death.

Arcana Academy (Mages Guild/School)

Unlike the other guilds, the Academy is not really a typical mercenary style organization. They are dedicated to studying magic and teaching young mages, while at the same time adding to their library of books and texts on magical theory. For the Fortes Kingdom, they also either train or supply combat ready wizards in times of war, though on occasion they can be hired privately for matters of consulting or for other services that require magic, such as enchanting or setting up wards. It is not uncommon to see students of the Academy sent out in groups led by a teacher to explore recently discovered ruins, mostly in a bid to uncover any ancient texts from wizards of old.