Setting

The planet of Vallaress is fairly young, and rich in magic. It's small compared to Earth, about 1/4 the size, where the time and seasons pass more quickly. Each season lasts a month, with four seasons equaling a full year. Plants, and monsters all grow very rapidly. The four prime races have existed on Vallaress for only three hundred years, and there are conflicting tales about how they came to be there. People are even less certain about the origin of the monsters and beasts, but it's unlikely that they were all created by or placed there by the same source. There are civilized settlements in many areas across the world, but survival is never guaranteed, and boundaries are always changing. Societies that are more prone to adapt to their environment, rather than trying to tame the land to suit their individual needs, are the most likely to remain on the map.

The world map can be seen here, with each hexagon representing roughly five miles.

Locations

Rendezvous

The primary town of the game is Rendezvous, nestled in a lush green vale with acres upon acres of fertile land suitable for farming. Houses range from simple cabins of logs caked with sealing mud to pretty two-story cottages. The town itself is prosperous with a number of businesses, including a blacksmith's shop, inn, school, a clinic/apothecary, a general goods store, a tavern, a tailor's shop, and many more. On the weekends there's an open market where farmers and tradesmen gather to sell their wares with colorful tables and booths. Performers usually appear at the market due to the high traffic these days bring, but it's not unheard of for a performer to exhibit his or her talents on ordinary days when the weather is good, or even at the inn or tavern if they draw more customers. The town plaza is a wide open space with a white marble fountain where townsfolk draw clean water. The plaza has many trees and benches, and usually feature hanging baskets of seasonal flowers. Festivals are often held here, but it's also a popular meeting place for friends and lovers. The town plaza's most visited feature is the town bulletin board where quests, announcements, and requests for aid are posted by Mayor Merle. Keep an eye on this board, some requests may even be made by the king himself!

Castle Barad Mala

The castle is a mile away on foot, built at a higher elevation to look out over the town. King Barad rules without a queen, but his daughter Princess Daphne and son Prince Chrom assist him with his kingly duties. All seem to be well-liked by the people, and are inclined to help any who make their requests known.

(More locations will be added as they become relevant in the course of the game.)

The Four Prime Races

Humans
Humans are said to be favored of the Earth element in their ability to shape stone and metal and coax life from the ground. They are typically intelligent and hard-working. Humans vary widely in appearance depending on what region they inhabit, such as the pale and dark-haired Northlanders or the ruddy-skinned and exotic roaming Gypsies.

Ripponds
These beings make their homes close to bodies of water. They are humanoid, and typically signified by webs in their fingers and toes. Their hair color ranges from green, blue, purple, and/or black. Though they dwell primarily on land, some have been known to retreat underwater for days at a time. A rippond can hold his or her breath for up to an hour, and may breathe freely in fresh or salt water. They are excellent swimmers with the water speed and agility of a fish. Their diet consists primarily of fruit, seaweed, and seafood (shrimp, fish, etc.). A rippond that does not soak in water at least once a day will begin to dry and sicken.

Glythers
These people are about a foot shorter than the average human, but bear many similar features and appearances. They're slim and light, with their bones being porous and a unique muscular structure where a little goes a long way. All Glythers have a moderately-sized hump on their upper backs. Most Glythers prefer to live in high places, favoring mountains, hills, plateaus, and seaside cliffs. They have a strong leathery stretch of skin from their wrist to their mid-torso that allows them to glide and ride wind currents with ease. Because of this, Glyther males don't typically wear shirts, while females wear a tie-string halter top. They're not particularly affected by extreme heat or cold. Despite being strong for their size, Glythers are frail, and are more prone to bruises and broken bones, so most favor long range weapons and magic, or simply avoid combat altogether.

Dervishes
These summer-loving people are as sturdy as they come, tough and proud. Dervishes are typically dark-skinned with tones ranging from copper to sheer black, but their hair comes in a wide variety of colors. Dervishes need very little water or food to survive and have made their homes in arid and hot areas such as deserts, volcanic islands, and jungles. Dervishes dress heavily in layers of leather and steel, typically showing little more than their eyes and hands when traveling. All Dervishes are able to shape fire with thoughts and gestures and can summon it freely, even maintaining a cheery campfire in the middle of torrential rain. They are a jovial and good-natured people, quick to anger, but just as quick to forgive.

The Blight

The source of this corruptive force is currently unknown. It is a foul poison that twists and augments the land and all living things that come in contact with it. Vermin that have dwelled too long in a blighted area typically grow to gargantuan size and become bloodthirsty, often acquiring deadly capabilities such as enhanced venom, cursed magic, the ability to see in absolute darkness, and even higher intelligence. The blight spreads exponentially in places of great tragedy such as battlegrounds where two kingdoms waged war, or overtaking villages beset by a terrible plague. It is possible that any who die due to blight-related causes have their souls bound to the blight, which twists them into ghouls, zombies, vampires, and other nasty types of undead spirits. It is easy to become infected by the blight and difficult to be cleansed. A person may be purified through a combination of good magic and food produced by a geomancer farmer, but it takes time and patience. Further exposure to the blight, even if just a little, can make an infected person regress exponentially faster than they're being healed.

Monsters generally favor the spread of the blight since being in a blighted area enhances their powers and abilities, and they are highly motivated to attack towns and farms. However, any town with a significant population of heroes and good people can permanently imbue the land with a powerful protection that actively repels the blight and its children. So while a small community may be at risk from monster attacks, a very healthy and thriving city with at least ten skilled adventurers will be left alone completely. It is Mazir's goal to establish many such towns and cities to rid the world of the blight completely.

Flora, Fauna, and Minerals

Most of the common animals one would find on Earth are also present in Vallaress. Cats, dogs, horses, chickens, cows, all of these are regular sights and are likely to be found in any civilized area. Magic beasts such as unicorns and dragons are much more rare, especially since most people would have to be crazy to willingly seek them out. Any typical creature found in your average fantasy book, such as goblins, orcs, and trolls, and certainly be encountered in Vallaress. Characters may be surprised to find creatures native only to their own worlds beginning to appear as time goes on. But if people from other worlds can appear here, so too can their pets, monsters, and other sentient denizens.

The flora of Vallaress is also comparable to Earth, particularly with vegetables and fruits. There are a few differences, such as the highly coveted pink melon, and there are also many rare herbs and flowers with magical properties that are sought after for potions and spell components.

Any earth metal or stone can also be discovered in Vallaress, with the most valuable ores and gems located in mines. There are mythical metals to be found, like orichalcum and adamantite, and most gemstones hold at least some small shred of magic power that can be refined or tapped into by those who know how to use them.

Magic

Magic is available to learn for any character who is willing to dedicate the time and study. The most common form of magic is the kind found in spellbooks, where one recites an incantation and, if required, expends certain components. Magic is drawn from the earth itself, and thus a spellcaster standing on good, healthy ground is going to have more potency than if they were to stand on desert sand. Winter seems to dampen most magic in this fashion, with late spring/early summer giving the strongest magical boost. Magic cast on blighted land is almost always twisted in some aspect, and spellcasters would do well to keep that in mind -- for example, healing magic can cause festering or poisoning, and fire will burn bone to ash.

A character's capacity for magic depends on what type of world they came from. Characters that hail from worlds of high tech and zero magic, where they knew no magic to begin with, will generally only be able to learn very low level spells (creating light, healing bruises, summoning sparks). However, if they truly dedicate themselves to the study of magic and spend a great deal of time mastering the art, they can typically catch up and learn at the same rate as someone who comes from a mundane or low magic world.

There are other ways to use and acquire magic as well. Certain items may allow a character to cast one particular spell at an advanced level or rate, tattoos of particular symbols may grant boosts to luck or strength or grant spellcasting of a particular element or type of spell, power can be granted from elder beings... There are new types of magic being discovered all the time. But the most dangerous magic comes from the blight. It's easy to tap into, almost seductively so, and it's wildly addictive. But it's also easy for one's heart to become deeply corrupted with repeated use, which may warp the character's morals and desires to villainy -- it may warp a person's physique as well, adding extra appendages, fangs, claws, tentacles, muscle, etc. Use of blight magic is strictly forbidden by King Barad and Mazir.

Religion

There isn't any one particular religion that's revered above all others -- most of Vallaress's origins are completely shrouded in mystery! There are some who believe that there is one great Creator who shaped the world and its magic, and others who believe in a pantheon of gods and goddesses that maintain one or a few aspects of the world, and still others who revere the magic of the planet itself. It varies greatly, and even the king's holy man is hard-pressed to say which religions are correct and incorrect. The general belief is that people are free to pay respects to what they will and allow others to do the same, with only zealots in general being given the stinkeye when they get too pushy or insistent on the beliefs and practices of others.