Post by >>Venus<< on Jun 9, 2008 11:14:36 GMT -5
Groups
There are three main groups that your character can be a member of: the Men, Beasts and Cursed. They can also be loners. Each group, or Kingdom, controls its own continent, and some control some far-out islands. The continents are connected by a strip of land in the center, or the Midland. The Midland is large enough that all these continents could be considered one supercontinent divided up into three sections. Therefore, the lands of each of the three Kingdoms are usually called subcontinents.
>> Kingdom of Men
The subcontinent of the Kingdom of Men is right above the equator, and the climate ranges from subtropical to temperate. Although the climate does not have that much variation, the landforms do. Everything from arid mountains tall enough that it's hard for anything to breathe up at the top to mosquito-filled, stiflingly humid marshes are on this subcontinent. Humans have become smart enough not to develop every square inch of land, but the majority of it still is. About 20% of it has been left wild, and that land has been converted to national parks and the like.
The Kingdom of Men is not actually a kingdom, but rather a democracy. It is modeled much after the American democracy, but with some key differences. There is still the President, Vice President and the Cabinet; and the Supreme Court; though Congress is a bit different. Instead of having the Senate and the House of Representatives, there is only one group of representation, simply called Congress. 10 representatives from each state make up Congress. The subcontinent has been divided into three states, each mainly divided by the slight differences in climate and named after it in Latin. The first state, Palus, has the subtropic and marshy areas within it. The second state, Siccus, has within it plains and some temperate forests. The third state, Montis, is mostly mountainous and full of alpine forests.
Important Positions: President; Vice President; Supreme Court judge; Mayors/Representatives of Palus, Siccus and Montis (mayor is also rep)
>> Kingdom of Beasts
Located east of the Kingdom of Men, the climate of the land of the Kingdom of Beasts varies much more than it. The land both dips below the Equator and rises almost into the Arctic Circle, so there are severe extremes. The landmass controlled by the Kingdom of Beasts is also much larger than that of the Kingdom of Men, and less of the land is in close vicinity to a large body of water, which makes the climate even more extreme. Everything from arid deserts seemingly devoid of life to areas of tundra tainted with permafrost and everything in between is on this land.
As the animal way of thinking is different than the human way of thinking, the government setup of the Kingdom of Beasts isn't quite like anything any human has ever seen before. The Kingdom is divided into three Packs; the Anadhal Pack, the Tierah Pack and the Rasha Pack. Every Pack has an Alpha, Beta and Gamma: the Beta and Gamma are selected by the Alpha. Rather than really having any real power, the Alpha has a strong suggestive rule over their Pack. Sometimes Packs will have an Omega if there is a member who is not trusted by the Alpha. Each Pack has their own territory, though many of them do not make permanent homes, simply wandering wherever their pack is. You see, rather than an animal giving allegiance to a location like humans do, animals will have one group that they live with, switching only when the need arises; such is the mindset of animals. There is one main Alpha, otherwise called the Supreme Alpha, and a group of what could be called "royalty" that live with him or her. However, the Supreme Alpha is much less involved in the governments of the Packs than the Alphas of their corresponding Packs. Also, the Supreme Alpha moves about the Packs, and doesn't necessarily have one particular place where he or she always dwells. When the Supreme Alpha makes a decision, though, that decision is final and overrides any countering decisions made by the other Alphas. The Supreme Alpha also often acts as a figurehead for the Kingdom.
Important Positions: Supreme Alpha; Supreme Beta; Supreme Gamma (optional); Alphas of: Anadhal Pack, Tierah Pack, Rasha Pack; Betas and Gammas of Packs (optional)
>> Kingdom of The Cursed Ones
This land is mostly located below the Equator, and is shaped like a long fang that is serrated and curved back. It starts pretty wide, and tapers to a sharp end. The tip of the "fang" reaches farther East than any land of the Kingdom of Beasts. The climate is very harsh and unforgiving, and most of the continent is arid. Badlands are all too common here. The northernmost part of the continent is a rocky desert, trapped in the rainshadow cast by tall mountain ranges on either side of the desert. If you look closely, you can see just enough life to support the creatures that live here. A little farther south, the continent is swallowed by a dark and unforgiving forest. Everything beyond that is dead and lifeless, any and all life frozen by permafrost. It is a wonder that anything lives here.
If you live in the Kingdom of The Cursed, prepare for a harsh life ruled with an iron hand. The Alpha has absolute power, and those who disobey orders will be severely punished. He or she has an elite Pack, rather like a squadron, to carry out their bidding. There is also the Beta, and sometimes a Gamma. There are two military districts, and the border between them runs down the fang the long way. The top one, which is the smaller one, is the Xar-Zan district, while the lower and the larger one is the Ken-Darhma district. Usually, the Beta controls the Ken-Darhma district while the Alpha controls the Xar-Zan district. The easiest thing to compare the government of the Kingdom of the Cursed is a dictatorship with martial law. If there is a war, a draft will almost always go out.
Important Positions: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Elite Pack
>> Midland
The Midland is both in the middle of the three continents and in the middle of the Earth - the Equator passes through it. Though the Equator passes through it, it does not pass straight through the center; it divides the upper three quarters from the lower quarter of the Midland. It is shaped rather like a bull's head: the left "horn" is connected to the Kingdom of Men, the right "horn" is connected to the Kingdom of Beasts and the chin is connected to the Kingdom of The Cursed. The lower segment is mostly desert. Above that is a rainforest, and the section closest to the Kingdom of Men is full of foothills. As this land is yet untamed, it can be harsh, though it is not the most unforgiving land on Earth.
The Midland is a bit different from the other places. It is owned by no one, and thus has no government. However, some do live here, as they do not wish to be ruled by any of the three Kingdoms. Occasionally there will be one Kingdom who is blinded by the lust for power - usually the Kingdom of the Cursed - that will attempt to claim lands within the Midland, in which case the other two Kingdoms may be seen fighting side-by-side to keep it neutral. It is commonly used as a passage to get from one Kingdom to the next, especially for armies.