Geography of Artegal

The World of Artegal



The world of Artegal is arranged in a series of islands of larger or smaller sizes. The largest are the size of small continents. The smallest are mere dots in relation. The islands are grouped in Nine Nations. Eight Nations surround the Ninth, the home of the Firstcomers. When the Firstcomers arrived, and decided that they would cease their journey, they split the vessel they used for travel into nine Crystal Shards, and placed one shard in each Nation.

Each of the Nations have their own governments and their own cultures. There is some international travel through the use of both sailing vessels and airships, some of which are outfitted to perform both functions. There are also flocks of Chocobos, some of which may be tamed to carry passengers, though flighted Chocobos are rare creatures requiring specialized breeding and development.

The first Nation is northern Vardit. Vardit is a frozen land where the cities are built inside of the mountains of the northern range or are built surrounded by the ice and resemble tunnels with wood and stone walls and domed ceilings covered with crystal to allow sunlight through. Vardit is inhabited mostly by big game hunters, but there are a few cities of snow-savvy people, mostly Auren, who have built their buildings under and on the ice over generations.

The second Nation is the Dwemer homeland of Ferris. Ferris is a mountain region dotted with mines and cities that rise to rival the sun because these Dwemer love to build and are very good at it. Their buildings are covered in stylized carvings relating to the history of the their people and the exploits of their heroes. Dwemer in general love tales of any sort, but those who live on Ferris strongly favor heroic ones. Occasionally a hero from another race gains mention in their records. Such individuals are rare and great above and beyond others. Culturally the Ferris Dwemer are Scandinavian and it shows. There is a tribe of Elven-kin who have made Ferris their home and have taken up the naming patterns of the Dwemer there who have adopted them.

The third Nation is Glaisne. Windswept Glaisne is covered in grasslands and prairies perfectly designed for the raising of livestock of all sorts, particularly several wild Chocobo flocks as well as a few ranches raising them for races in the capital city on the eastern coast. Glaisne is also the home of the native ingenuity and magic research under the watchful eye of the mostly-Auren Mages. Glaisne is controlled by the Mages and the Racing Guild so that neither can suffocate the other. It is the most metropolitan of the Nations.

The fourth Nation is the island cluster of Ula-Ronat. Ula-Ronat is not one small continent, it is a large number of islands of greater or lesser size, all having a lush, Pacific Islander climate with warm weather and ocean breezes. The inhabitants of Ula-Ronat, being mostly Merrow, have the ability to hold their breath indefinitely because they spend so much time in and around the water. The Elven-kin of Ula-Ronat are well-known for being pleasant and easygoing. In point of fact, all the natives of Ula-Ronat are rumored to be at least semi-amphibious and all naturally hold their breath for extended periods of time.

The fifth Nation is the sandy land of Brimlad. Brimlad is covered in desert and other arid territories. The cities are made of mud and brick or are great stone edifices built on the backs of legions of worker, some acquired legitimately . . . some not. Officially slavery is outlawed, but old habits die hard. Culturally Brimlad straddles the line between ancient Egypt and Arabia and is inhabited mostly by Auren natives and some Crystalborn inhabitants.

The sixth Nation is wooded Fiacre. Fiacre is a huge forestland from coast to coast boasting the largest trees on all of Artegal. The oldest of the trees are the living cities where the trees breathe and whisper and shape themselves to fit the needs of those who live there in communion with them. The trees, themselves, are somewhat self-aware, and almost as old as the world itself. Those who live within rooms shaped on the trunks and branches of the trees are chosen by the trees who accept them as much as the trees chosen by the inhabitants. The creatures of Fiacre are known to be large and so there are big-game hunters here as well, but so are those who seek to tame the creatures for other purposes. The Moogles, especially, love to live in Fiacre as well as several tribes of Auren. Culturally the Nation stands between wooded Wales and Ireland.

The seventh Nation is oriental Eremaki. Eremaki is an Empire, politically, ruled by an Emperor and his council of Ruling Lords, each representing a Ruling House. Only the Merrow are native to Eremaki, most others are imports of one form or another, though some of them have been absorbed into the culture to the point that no one observes the distinction anymore, other than the native Merrow families. The finest weaponsmiths are from Eremaki and only the best of them are granted the title of Master Smith. Eremaki is distinctly Japanese both his flavor and in history and has a complicated history with rival Glaisne.

The eighth Nation is Raonaid. Raonaid is covered in scrublands over a broken terrain with highland areas and lowland areas where farming and such is done. The land is ruled by a series of Dwemer clans who have some association with each other, though each clan is largely independent, except where dealings with outsiders are concerned. There is a central leadership who guards the Crystal, but the leader is only as effective as the support he or she receives from those below. Raonaid is very Scottish in both flavor and culture. The clans have members from all Races in them, and Dwemer are found in all other Nations (especially Ferris where the culture is more Viking than Scots), but those who hail from Raonaid wear the plaid of their clans and they wear it proudly.

The ninth Nation is that of Astraea. Astraea is officially neutral in all disputes between the other eight Nations because Astraea claims to be the homeland of them all. Astraea houses the largest Crystal Shard and is ruled by the Crystalborn. The climate is temperate; much of the land is gardened and otherwise cultivated. This is where disputes between the eight Nations are decided either through ritual combat or through negotiation. Astraea is something of a holy land to the other Nations. It is the birthplace, the homeland of all. It also has the strongest magic because of the sheer size of the Crystal that sits there.