First Year Initiate Catrina's Class Notes for World Cultures

Geography

Whitetower - A physical, living tower of weathered stone and white wood where the Druids live, deliberate, and teach.  It is surrounded on three sides by the Young Pine Forest, with rocky plains and the settlement of Easterlee on the fourth.

Easterlee - Generically used by the Druids for everything east of the Young Pine Forest, but more specifically the thousand year old city-state that arose to the east from a treaty between Druids and humans when the forest was first planted.  The treaty forbids clearing trees, encroaching on the forest in any way, or building anything over one hundred feet tall, so everything is built farther and farther in the lee of the eastern wall – hence, Easterlee.

Young Pine Forest - The forest at large that houses Whitetower as well as several races: including the Druids and Rangers, Treants, and some Fey.  The temple at the heart of the forest is forbidden to all but the most senior druids.

Caernovon - Capital city of the fey kingdom one hundred leagues to the east of Easterlee.

Time

The home kingdom of game play is on a ten day "week" called a Tenday.  Most folk traditionally work seven days with three days off.

Cultures

Druids of Whitetower

Technically the rulers of the kingdom of Greatwood, but they seldom appear to extend their politics outside of themselves.

Standard Language: Druidic

Use genderless terminology:

Master – Title of one who has achieved sufficient standing for voting rights in the Druidic Council.

Young Master – Title of one who has passed out of classes into general study – a druid in good standing.

Initiate – Title of one who has been accepted by the Druids as an apprentice.

Mistress – Title of one who has stepped down from a voting position; usually to recover from a grievous injury or to raise a young child without the distractions of Council and Study.

Young Mistress – Title of one who has stepped down from lesser druidic duties, for reasons similar to above, but hopes to return and seek full voting rights in the future.

Rangers of Whitetower

The protectors of the forest and active "arm" of the Druids.

They mostly call each other “Ranger So-and-So” in the field, but in private or around Whitetower there are three ranks: Senior Ranger (the Field Marshals of the Rangers), Ranger (regular officers), and Junior Ranger (trainees).  There are no ‘enlisted’ Rangers; that role would be taken by volunteers from the small forest communities.

Usually gone seven days and then rotated home for three, in groups of four to six.

No more than two trainees per senior Ranger in the field.

Easterlee

Ruled by a council of eleven Princelings; heavily influenced by the Druids through treaty and tradition.

Modest armed forces consisting mostly of Myrmidons (officers) and Men-at-Arms (footsoldiers), with conscription and volunteer forces (City Watch, etc.) available to be called up on a day’s notice.

Standard Language: Trade

Capital city - only city - of the kingdom of Greatwood.  Made up of mostly humans, easily tens of thousands in population.  Noble lines were established pre-Druid rule and are maintained for the most part, with the addition of Master Druids regarded as nobles and some (precious few) new lines for outstanding service to city and kingdom.

Types of Magic

Magic is thought of as being governed by classic elements:  Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.  While any particular magic usually falls into just one of these categories, magic users may have the ability to control more than one.  However, the greatest magicians generally have one overriding focus.

 - Earth is traditionally the magic of living things and wilderness, trees and rocks.  This is the most common elemental focus among Druids, as well as Humans and Fey, and one of the most versatile (or at least combinable) elements.  Earth and Air produces Lightning; Earth and Fire produces Metal; Earth and Water produces Wood.

 - Air is traditionally the magic of thought and apportation.  Telekinesis and most Mental powers fall into this category.  These powers are fairly rare, and sometimes take on sinister connotations, due to their ability to tamper with the will.  The Unseelie were supposedly masters of the arts of the Air, but only small pieces of their talent remain in the greatest among the Giants.  Air and Water produces Ice, but Elemental Cold is a rare variation on Air Magic.  Air and Fire supposedly produces Elemental Shadow, but only the mythical Gray Infernals are rumored to possess such abilities.

 - Water is traditionally the magic of healing and fertility, but it is also reputed to be the closest to Necromancy, as spells of poison, acid, and horrible drownings come just as easily to its masters.  The Seelie were the greatest Water mages known to Greatwood scholars, but so much of their knowledge was lost in the Elf War.  Druids – and Humans in general – favor Water just behind Earth, in overall commonality.  Water and Fire produces Thunder, but while proven, these powers are rare in the extreme.

 - Fire is traditionally the magic of both artifice and destruction.  It is the power of choice of blacksmiths and arsonists, jewelers and war mages; a passionate and dichotomous magical wellspring to draw from.  Red Infernals are the undisputed masters of Fire magic, but Humans and Giants are no strangers to its lure.

Celestials and Infernals consider their magic different from that of the rest of the world, but the rest of the world disagrees.

The most distinct subtypes of magic include Necromancy, Channeling, Summoning, and Chi / Spirit Disciplines.

 - Chi users are not considered magic users in the classical sense, no matter how fantastic their feats, because their power is entirely internalized and undetectable to classically trained mages.  Only Humans seem particularly drawn to the Spirit Disciplines, although some lesser Giants bear some Talent for it.

 - Channelers and Summoners are the opposite, having no perceptible internal component to their magic.  They may detect as weak or strong, depending on the nature of what they traffic in magically and what they are using at the time.  Celestials are the undisputed masters of both Channeling and Summoning, but no race is denied such Talent.

 - Necromancy draws on the corrupt aspects of all four elements: Dark Earth to raise and empower the dead, Dark Fire to cage and torment the soul, Dark Air to summon and command spirits, and Dark Water to poison and corrupt the living.  White Infernals are rumored to be the strongest in the necromantic arts, but none are immune to the lure of the Dark Powers.