Kingdom of Gwynlynd

* Coat of Arms
* Map

**Gwynlynd** is the only known location where magic still flows through the humans and is thus synonymous to the Enchanted Lands. It's separated into seven regions, each one with its own distinct characteristics.

## Etymology

**Gwynlynd** was originally known as the Kingdom of Crystalline, which is the name it earned during the Age of Treasures. When Gwyneira and Rosalynd defeated King Emrys II. and became the Queens of the realm, it was renamed to Gwynlynd, which is a combination of their names and simultaneously means *beautiful white*.

### Civilization

#### Total Destruction (?-0)

The Cerima-Helians were thriving for thousands of years, but they slowly faced their own problems as they realized that due to the large amount of magic supplied by the deities, they became immortal. People became restless and eventually they started wars all over Cerima, that ended with 80-85% of them dying. The rest tried to rebuild Cerima into the paradise it once was, but the resources were scarce, opportunities were low and suicide rates were the highest in the entire history of the planet. The deities had tried to warn them this would happen, but nobody listened to their words, so they had refused to help until the very end when the Helians repented for their sins and begged them for their mercy.

#### Great Reunion (0-514)

Meanwhile, the Nolase-Helians had found records of their earliest ancestors that told of the prosperous continent they had originally migrated from and many of them decided to go back in the hope of once again gaining the ability to practice magic and overall improving the quality of their lives. What they find when they get back are the remains of the wars and they quickly realize that the continent is not what it once was. Still, they decide to stay and help the Cerima-Helians rebuild, along with the divine species that had until then stayed away from the wars in solidarity with the deities.

#### Divine Blessing (515-641)

Slowly, things start to get better and people start settling into different tribes in the seven regions. They invent many things to help themselves with everyday things that they previously used their magic for, though due to the scarcity of it they now have to find other ways to do things. The deities watch them do so for hundreds of years until they finally decide to honour their hard work. They do so by guiding the Thalicans, that were believed to have gone extinct, back to Lana and encouraging them to bless the humans with magical abilities once more.

#### Cinderborne Plague (642-855)

After a short period of peace in Cerima, the Thalicans start favouring certain Helians over others and make them stronger than other Helians, even before they are born. These children quickly gained the name Enthavians ('Cinderbornes') since they are known to set their mothers on fire during their birth, usually killing them in the process with very few known exceptions. On one hand, people were jealous of their immense powers, yet they also became scared, especially due to the tragic fate of their mothers, despite the children not being at fault for their deaths. The regular Helians started to hunt the Enthavians, who tried to either defend themselves violently or were defended by the Thalicans who were outraged at their favoured souls being harmed. As punishment, they took away the Helians' ability to practice active magic in the form of spells or directly applying magical effects, only leaving them other magical abilities such as being able to brew potions or get visions of the future. Only some of the descendants of former Cerima-Helians retained the ability to practice active magic, though they usually hid the ability, scared that the Thalicans would take it away from them, so many of their bloodlines eventually forgot about their retained abilities.

#### Crystalline Rise (856-1197)

After taking away the Helians' ability to practice active magic, the Thalicans once again turned their backs on them and went back to the Sky Kingdom were they had spent many thousands of years. However this time, they came back every year to choose new Enthavians. The Helians once again start to explore the possibilities and limits of their new form of magic, and they start to discover the importance of other things such as nature's treasures like precious metals, plants or crystals. Prominent tribes from the prior ages start to gain more power as they get more treasures and start naming themselves Noble Houses instead. One such Noble House, House Chamilina, starts uniting six of the regions (except what is today known as the Exiled Abyss, as people thought it was a mythical place) and make themselves the rulers of the newly established Kingdom of Crystalline. A few hundred years later, King Emrys II. becomes a tyrant and is eventually exiled with his siblings by the Ministry, which is how the Exiled Abyss got its name (until then, it was simply known as the Abyss).

#### Gwynlyndian Bloom (1198-?)

After the sisters Gwyneira and Rosalynd defeated King Emrys II. they were made the new Queens of the new Elective Kingdom of Gwynlynd, along with their husbands. Every ~30 years or so, a new pair of Queens and Kings is selected by the members of the Ministry. This era is undoubtedly a new era of beauty, education, enlightenment, peace, tolerance and change.

## Geography

### Climate

Gwynlynd is a large kingdom spanning over a whole continent and because of the magic flowing through the kingdom, it’s rather diverse when it comes to climates, biomes, wildlife and resources. There is often snow and you can spot northern lights and other natural phenomena all over the continent. But due to the Dragonflame and the influence of the gods, flowers and plants can still bloom even in those areas.

### Regions

Gwynlynd is separated into seven regions, each one further separated into smaller territories governed by different noble families. Types of territories include duchy, margravate, county, viscounty and barony. The only region that isn’t governed by any nobles is the Exiled Abyss which is instead governed by different Councilors that are chosen by the people of the different territories.

#### Cinder Hallow

Cinder Hallow is the oldest region of Gwynlynd and is home to the Dragonlands, the ancestral home of not only the Dragons, but all life on the planet.

#### Embershire

Embershire is the second smallest region of Gwynlynd and out of all regions, it has the hottest temperatures and is often very dry. Though Embershire is the poorest of the regions because it largely consists of unfertile land and desserts, it also features some beautiful oases with exotic fruits and plants.

#### Exiled Abyss

Exiled Abyss, formerly named the Fractured Abyss, is separated from the rest of Gwynlynd by the Cecilia Mountains. Any rebels or state criminals as well as some Dragonbornes are sent to exile here but nobody else actually knows what's behind the Cecilia Mountains. Different to the other regions, the Exiled Abyss is not separated into smaller territories, but simply into different councils instead, which are governed by different appointed councilors.

#### Faeborough

Where Cinder Hallow is the ancestral home of the Dragons, Faeborough is where the first Elves, Nymphs and Fairies resided before slowly moving and adapting to other regions. To this day the people of Faeborough are the ones most connected to their magic. Faeborough is also home to some of Gwynlynd's most beautiful and talented people.

#### Ivory Isles

The Ivory Isles are Gwynlynd's cultural center where all the scholars, musicians, artists, philosophers etc. live and love. It’s separated into a larger island that houses the Snowrose Academy, its lodges and conjoining institutions and settlements for scholars and teachers as well as a smaller island that is home to Crownsquare, Gwynlynd's largest shopping district.

#### Moondew Forest

The Moondew Forest is a large forest that separates both Gwynlynd and the Enchanted Lands from the Forgotten Lands and is rich with herbs, plants and animals. It may seem gloomy at first sight, but the farther you go, the more beautiful the forest becomes.

#### Pearlsprings

Pearlsprings is the largest of the seven regions and also the richest of them, as it’s home to Lillemor Castle and the Ministry, as well as various of Gwynlynd's richest noble families.

## Government

Gwynlynd is separated into two different governing bodies: the monarchy and the ministry. The monarchy specifically refers to the newer system of Gwynlynd’s elective monarchy where every thirty-or-so years, two new queens and kings are chosen, one governing over magic and the other governing over treasures. The ministry act as advisors to the crown, govern over their own respective fields and are appointed by whoever was in the position prior to a new minister being chosen.

## Economy

### Agriculture

Most common crops:

* Nuts (walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, almonds, etc.)
* Berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc.)
* Fruits (grapes, pears, melons, peaches, citrus fruits, etc.)

### Domestic Animals/Herding

Animal herding is quite important and common, but it is considered illegal to kill animals in excess. You are only allowed to kill an animal when you’re going to be eating all of its remains soon after. They also herd animals to get other resources, such as milk for various dairy products, eggs, etc.

### Hunting/Gathering

People who can’t afford to herd animals often take to hunting them instead, but the rule of not killing in excess still applies. Gathering of resources is also quite common still.

### Currency

Gwynlynd uses three types of coins called Crowns: Gold Crowns, Silver Crowns and Bronze Crowns

## Cuisine

*See also: Cuisine*

The cuisine of Gwynlynd is mainly characterized by lots of sweet dishes made of fruits and nuts as well as sweet and savory pastries. The people of Gwynlynd are also very big on the preparation of produce like cheese or sausages and delicacies like caviar. When it comes to meat, people generally prefer all kinds of fish and marine creatures and poultry over red meat, which is rarely eaten. Herbs are generally preferred over spices, but both are seen as necessary additions to any meal.

## Appearance

### Adornments

Gwynlyndians have a long tradition of using specific kinds of adornments in different situations.

One example would be the **Lodge rings** that are used primarily by students of different academies. They usually feature either of the stones associated with the person's lodge and have a personalized design to fit the wearer's preferences.

Another common type of adornment are different variations of matching **earcuffs** that are usually worn by married couples. They symbolize that the couple will always be ready to listen to each other without judgement.

When a couple gets married, they often wear different **blindfolds** with floral decorations, because the eyes are said to be the windows of the soul and during the ceremony, the couple takes off each other's blindfolds to symbolize that they are opening their souls to each other.

### Cosmetics

Gwynlyndians rarely wear cosmetics on a regular basis, but during special occasions such as balls, weddings, funerals etc. people are encouraged to decorate their faces however they would like, especially the eyes. It's very common to paint dramatic landscapes or minimal accents around your eyes or even to wear gemstones or flowers to accentuate your eyes.

### Hair

Gwynlyndians love to experiment with hairstyles and can often be seen wearing various kinds of braids and hair accessories.

### Beauty Standards

*See also: Beauty*

To be perceived as truly beautiful by the vast majority, you need to have a pretty, delicate and gentle appearance, though you are also expected to be able to look enchanting or alluring. People who are either too masculine or too feminine are generally perceived to be less attractive, though feminine is still preferable over masculine.

## Creations

### Art

All forms of art are very important in Gwynlynd, most notably music through various instruments, dancing and also painting.

### Artifacts

Common artifacts are decorative weapons adorned with pearls and gemstones, jewelry, lots of books and there are many people with a fable for fancy decorated pottery, vases and cutlery. There are also many obscure magical artifacts such as mirrors, hourglasses, crowns etc.

### Literature

The preferred forms of literature are poetry (especially romantic poetry, introspective poetry or poetry discussing issues of society) and especially novels with romantic elements. Gwynlyndians are hopeless romantics and reading about the love between other people, whether the novel has a happy ending or not is one of the best activities they can imagine.

## Relationships

### Family

Since Gwyneira and Rosalynd became the first Queens of Gwynlynd, women have slowly taken on more power than before and usually, families now have a matriarch instead of a patriarch. The less wealthy spouse is generally said to join the family or house of the wealthier one, but even then the less wealthy spouse may take over the household if they are a woman. One is only allowed to have children after visiting parenting lessons and taking a standardized exam to decide whether they would be able to raise children without psychologically damaging the children or themselves.

### Courtship

Gwynlyndians are known to be hopeless romantics, so arranged marriages are highly frowned upon. Young people often fantasize about finding their soulmates or at least someone whose aura is compatible with their own, because otherwise the marriage is destined to fail, or at least that's what's commonly believed. Within recent years, Soul Flowers have gained a lot of popularity and have become another way to identify compatible partners, besides the usual factors of souls and auras.

### Marriage

There are many different traditions surrounding both marriage and especially weddings.

One tradition is the **blindfold removal**, wherein all partners wear blindfolds for the first part of the ceremony, until their partner takes it off to symbolize them opening their souls to each other.

Another common tradition is the cultivation of Love Roses, which is a flower born of the souls of all partners that blooms all year, representing the current state of the couple's relationship.

## Symbols

### Five elements

Everything Gwynlynd somehow fits into the five elements recognized by Gwynlyndians: Fire, Water, Air, Earth and Aether. When the five elements come together, they create a soul.

 Water
 Air
 Earth
 Aether