#fateline

Sirine - A major player in world trade, a matriarchal meritocracy that could be quite the powerhouse if not for the infamous difficulty in uniting them under a single ruler, with families being proud and stubborn. The center for pretty much the only monotheistic religion, they believe all other religion's gods are facets or interpretations of the goddess Prosposa. This makes them relatively religiously tolerant, though many aren't thrilled with the invalidation of their gods or being held to another religion's moral standards.

Wahlia - A group of six smaller nations, whose mythologized founders were siblings, and whose histories with each other have been long and varying. At the moment the six are theoretically in accord after increased hostilities have driven the military-minded Andzu to focus more on Rediva to the south instead of trying to shoulder further into their sibling nations' territories. Of course, there are still plenty who wish to take advantage of the situation to shift power to their own ends, reclaiming lost land or growing their status even further.

Rediva -Historically a large empire spanned most of the continent, though it fell after natural disasters and sickness. The remains of a last-ditch effort to save the retreating healthy remains visible today: a large swath of land turned foul and inhospitable to block the sick on one side of the mountains. Some survived, and over time society began to grow again, but the separation was solid, with both sides of the mountains having superstitions about the taint of the no man's land. Some bold southerners would cross north to raid Anzu, but the raids were never a serious problem until recently, as wont for resources cases unrest in the south brings expansion as people rally to a new leader whose folk hero status is spiraling out of his control.

Farran - Volcanic soil and lush plant life competes with the danger of the volcanoes themselves and of wildlife. A haven of corruption, pirates, smugglers, and thieves, and prone to bloody peasant revolts, there is as much unrest as there is opportunity for riches.

Hytea - The Chuizaīn and Dèshihyo empires are caught in a power struggle, each attempting to absorb the other and the last few independent kingdoms holding on to power; meanwhile, each empire threatens to collapse under its own weight as one struggles with corruption and the other with a succession crisis.

Tinsang - A country built on trade, Tinsang stubbornly clings to its power at sea, resisting attempts to conquer it. It's a country for trade, networking, and a high price to pay for a deal undone.

Belros - While Belros is the heart of the study of the nature of magic, exploring even the less immediately obvious uses, mages are unchecked and largely entwined with the economy and government and free to take advantage of the poorer citizens who are desperate enough to volunteer as energy sources. Though there are factions that wish for greater regulation of magic, the persistent threat of the nomads the east and the rumors of the Hytean dynasties looking to Belros' shores make for easy pro-magic propaganda.

Maselle- A region of open grassland upon which several nomadic tribes herd their goats, cattle, and horses. With their ability to mobilize quickly, they provide significant problems for Belros, and their grip on Leira is strengthening.

E'cia - Elves traditionally live underground: in antiquity they lived in self-sufficient communities in cave systems, and were feared for their vicious retaliation towards any who wandered below ground, and even attacks on those who didn't. Much time has passed, and with the growth of elven communities more substantial above ground sources of food are required, with the elves on the surface seen as lower class. Those surfacers were open to trade with human communities, and now in larger and more progressive elven cities it's common to find human imports.

sirine fashion favors solid, bold, straight lines. showing skin beyond that of the face, hands and feet (that which is considered essential to interacting with the world) is seen as undignified, and depending on one's location, can harm their own social standing or even that of their families and neighbours. children often go sleeveless, since they're already prone to doing absurd foolish things like trying to eat everything they find or stick pebbles up their nose.

the climate ranges from mediterranean to semi-arid, which has led to a fashion trend among the higher class of wearing partially visible jersey underclothes beneath the standard linen outwear, allowing them to wear things such as short sleeves while still remaining tastefully covered. this stretchier fabric is more expensive in addition to being warmer, making it doubly impractical for the lower class.

though in the capital a sleeve carelessly slipping at work could be a scandal, the further away one goes, towards the hotter regions, the less important this cultural norm is. it's common to wear something similar to a chiton, which resembles classic children's clothing among the capital and further gives the impression of poor taste and immaturity.

deep, vivid fabrics are the ideal, but dye baths are reused, the first bath providing the most coveted deep colors, and subsequent baths giving progressively more pale shades. thus rich-colored clothing is a sign of wealth, though amid the lower class, clothing that's maintained a pure, clean white gives the wearer an air of elegance. true black linen is especially sought after, as it's difficult to achieve a consistent deep black. black wool, warmer but more easily acquired due to black sheep, is a cheaper alternative. reds and golds are the most common colors, with cool colors very rare and fashionable.