Lenore

“Flat roads and kind hearts” - A Lenoran greeting/farewell, sometimes just shortened to “Flat roads.”

File:Lenore 2.png

## **Hardcore Survivalist Bookworms**

Lenore is a nation in flux, literally. For the last four hundred years, the country’s weather and geography have experienced radical day-by-day shifts, increasing in intensity the closer you get to the centre. Lenore is also a place of learning and culture, home to the famous Library of Lenore. The sum total of these two factors is a nation of rugged, hardened survivalists who write some of the greatest plays, sonnets and textbooks known to man.

## Shifting Terrain

Lenore can grow mountains in a night. Without any particular rhyme or reason, the ground can start to rise or fall, creating new terrain features and warping the entire geography of an area. Surprise canyons, marshes and lakes are not uncommon. The weather can experience similar dramatic shifts. A region of Lenore can have drought conditions in the morning, a localized monsoon in the afternoon, and then thunder during a snowstorm at midnight.

Famous dark mage and international pest Varamir The Revenant is believed to be responsible for this. Four hundred years ago, after being chased out of his home nation of Traansadoor, Varamir came to Lenore and did something. No one is quite sure what he did, but it included conducting several arcane rituals in a storage room in the Library of Lenore, and the country has been like this ever since.

Most of Lenore’s bigger cities are built around the country’s edges, where the effects are at their least severe. There are also small areas of complete calm and stability found inland, known as Halcyons. Halcyons are rectangular strips of land with perfectly defined edges, and host most of Lenore’s agriculture. Many of Lenore’s inhabitants do live, and indeed thrive, however, in the shifting areas. These Lenorans are tough and adaptable survivalists, and many find excitement and joy in Lenore’s dynamic, ever-shifting environment.

## Libraries and Literature

At the heart of Lenore, there is a mountain, smooth, sheer and pure white. Built on and in this mountain is the Library of Lenore. The Library is the greatest repository of knowledge and literature in the world. It is staffed by hundreds of Librarians, and is open to all who wish to visit.

The Library is in an area of peace and tranquility, similar to a Halcyon, but circular. It never rains or snows, and there are never any clouds, the only weather the Library ever gets is a gentle wind which eternally circles the mountain. It has been theorised that there could be some meaningful geometric pattern in the position of the Library against the Halcyons, but if there is one, no one has been able confirm it.

The Library itself is reached via a broad stairway which runs up the mountain, leading to the grand atrium. The Librarians keep a record of everyone who has ever visited the Library. Some knowledge is restricted. The Head Librarian is a shy excitable air elemental named Ava, and has been for the last 500 years.

Lenorans are proud of their erudite roots. As a culture they place great value on learning, reading, writing, and the exchange of knowledge. This creates an odd dynamic where some of the best works of literature and academia come out of the wilds of Lenore, written between fleeing surprise mountains and fighting bears. Travellers will often challenge each other to friendly riddle contests, and annual puzzle gatherings are not uncommon. All Lenorans are encouraged to make a pilgrimage to the Library at least once.