Magnolia

Magnolia is a large volcanic island divided by a collection of city states, that together, call themselves the Magmist. The Magmist are a proud and righteous people who are lead by their Fire Imperio Idalia, whose reign has spanned many lifetimes.

## **History**

History and religion is very intertwined and filled with Imperial propaganda.

It is said that before there was anything there was energy and there was darkness. From the energy came a light and a desire. It was the birth of the god, Ishan. Ishan wanted to grow, and to create, but the darkness would not let them. The darkness called itself Nos and threatened to consume Ishan into submission. But Ishan persisted with their desire, and over time, Ishan grew more brilliant through the struggle. White light stretched throughout the heavens, pushing Nos into it's farthest corners. Finally, Ishan was free to create.

From Ishan's desire came the formation of the magical world of Aeon. It was a world where life could take root and change could happen. Ishan erected many isles in this new world of perpetual day, where life could migrate and dramas unfold.

Content to watch their creation, Ishan took a rest for the first time in their existence. Though, as Ishan rested, Nos grew bolder, and in swift attack, Ishan was obliterated. Shards of light were thrown across the sky as Nos replaced them in their cold darkness.

But Ishan did not die. They were merely divided. One piece fell to the center of Aeon to become known as the capital. Another become the life sustaining sun. And countless others became the stars that would guide Ishan's creations through Nos's darkness.

Through the never ending battle between light and darkness, life on Aeon steadily continued flourish.

Eventually life made it's way to Magnolia. Tribes formed, finding warmth by it's flames that grew more brilliant and hot than anywhere else. It was a paradise at the mercy of a volcano which the tribes called Valquarra. In the beginning, Valquarra was a finicky deity, who was unsure whether to provide for or eradicate. The tribes earned Valquarra's favor by means of sacrifice. In return, Valquarra became docile and provided the people with their Imperio, Idalia. Under Idalia, the small tribes evolved into great, stone-walled city states where technology, agriculture and art boomed. Competition and rivalries, between the cities pushed advancements until one stepped too far.

City of Rhys, the country's titan in technology advancement and exploration, decided Magnolia had outgrown it's need for Imperior Idalia and called for her removal of power. The pyre was divided. A great feud erupted among the cities and war broke out.

Distraught by their betrayal Imperior Idalia sought out a higher power. She prayed to her mother Valquarra, and Valquarra answered by demolishing the City of Rhys in fire and ash.

Many advancements were lost but Magnolia regained stability under Idalia.

## **Religion**

Ishan is the god of light, life and desire. They are the Magmist's primary diety and are thought to be related to light magic of the capitol. Ishan created the volcano, Valquarra, which grew to be the country of Magnolia. From Valquarra, came Idalia, who rose to govern Magnolia's people. Nos is Ishan's counterpart, and is a demon/ god of darkness and death. Nos is associated with void magic and is seen as evil by most Magmist.

**Values:**

* Endurance, Strength, Purity, Creativity, Formality, Family, Passion

#### **Everyday Practices:**

* Burning Incense
* Sun Meditation - sun bathing but more intense
* Sunrise and Sundown Sermons

#### **Religious Holidays**

* Rite of Champions - A major sporting event where city states compete to see who better at beating up the other. Takes place once a year in the middle of summer. The cities alternate hosting.
* Ignition Ceremony - Magnolia's coming of age ceremony for youths who make it to 10 years announce to the family what they want to pursue as a career
* Festival of Color - In celebration of the end of winter, a week long art celebration is held. Communities get together to create installations that are built upon throughout the week to be burned at the end of it. The burning is meant to symbolize letting go of the old year to make room for the new one.

### **Covenant of Nos**

A secret church of darkness. Believes life is overrated and everything people touch is corrupted. Wants to stop Idalia's cycle of reincarnation, first and foremost. Any talk about the Covenant is strictly forbidden.

## **Society**

#### **General**

The Magmist are a very physical people. Greetings will involve some sort touching, usually a shoulder bump or a neck rub. Sharing body warmth solidifies relationships and portrays an openness of the heart. Someone who does not like to be touched is often seen as someone not to be trusted.

#### **Family**

Family is highly valued by Magmist. Households are generally large as having children is highly encouraged to provide a continuous force of labor and greater sphere of influence. Many households are multi generational and lead by a single individual known as the head of house. Polygamy is common practice in higher classes and is considered a show of power and wealth. Divorce is stigmatized as abandoning your duty to your spouse and disrupting the unity in the family. Similarly, a childless individual over the age of 25 is seen as neglecting the future and a burden to the family. If an individual is unable to have children, adoption is the next best thing. An unmarried individual over the age of 25 is also looked down upon but is more accepted than a childless one.

**Births, Weddings, and Funerals**

Births, weddings, and funerals are all celebrations that must be officiated by a priest so they can guide the soul through these important milestones. Wedding's are done during the day in the light of Ishan. Funerals are done at night where the fire of the body's cremation can burn the brightest. It is said, the brighter the flame, the greater the individual was.

#### **Education**

Strength of body and mind very important. Working out is regarded as a form of education among the Magmist. There is a high literacy rate thanks to religious scripture. As far as schooling, children are home schooled till the age of five and then are sent to academy till the age of ten were they will be taught basic arts, science, history and maths. After ten years a child will be expected to pursue an apprenticeship in their desired field to expand on subjects. Religious and athletic education continues throughout life regardless of career.

#### **Infrastructure/ Technology**

Large stone walled cities on the main isle. Advanced road and bridge system. Steampowered/sailed hybrid ships, hot air balloons, dynamite.

#### **Healthcare**

Healthcare is very limited to the general population of Magnolia thanks to the idea that a body worth anything should be able to heal itself. Anything more advanced than a suture or fixing a broken bone is very expensive to the point that only the higher classes can afford it. The mortality of rate of infants is not great. Generally, 30% do not make it past their first year. Giving birth is also very dangerous to mothers, but thankfully some great painkillers made from manticore poison are widely available.

#### **Trade/ Commerce**

Magnolia's currency consists of obsidian coins of black, green and orange color.

Main exports are dragon eggs, dragon hide, poisons, dyes, opium, metals, tech, art, religion.

#### **Beauty**

The Magmist are very proud and take great care in maintaining their looks. Fashion consists of lots of cloth and layering/ bright colors under dark is common. Zebra stripes are common and highly desirable. Those who don't have stripes naturally, often get them tattooed.

## **Government**

The Imperio is thought to be a reincarnated god living among the people.  Idalia has existed for centuries, passing on from form to form. A child of the sun birthed from the volcano.  The Imperio is less involved than she was in the past with governing her people and is more utilized in diplomatic events as a symbol for the nation.  However when the Imperio does get involved, their word is final. A council of lords, called a pyre, govern the individual city states. In some instances, a grand pyre will be called where the most powerful lords of all city states will get together to discuss decisions that will effect all of Magnolia, such as war. The Imperio should always be invited to a Pyre as a formality but will usually only attend a grand pyre. Not inviting the Imperio to a pyre is considered treasonous by nature.

### **Laws**

1. **Do not speak impudently of Our God Ishan,** Lest they take back what they created
2. **The Imperior's word is Final,** for they are closely guided by Ishan's light
3. **Respect your head**, Insubordination breeds disorder
4. **Do not climb to the summit of Valquarra unless given permission,** Her crest is sacred land
5. **Speak softly in the dark**, for evil listens
6. **Do not disturb protected forests**
7. **Disagreements may be settled in a supervised duel,** The type of duel will be decided by the one who's been challenged
8. **Do not steal or cheat**
9. **Only those who can give are permitted to take**

### **Consequences**

Punishments for crimes committed by individuals vary as something as small as a fine, to indentured servitude, to public burnings, to being left to the elements. Transgressions are usually brought to the attention of a lord who will then call a pyre to settle the matter, but it's not unheard of for a community of civilians or family to try to dispense justice on their own.

## **Ranks**

### Top Class

* **Imperio**: The religious and political figurehead of Magnolia. This position has always been filled by Idalia, who legend said, literally crawled out of the volcano hundreds of years ago. Her reign has spanned many lifetimes thanks to Magnolia's ancestral talent of Energy Transference.
* **Lord**: Powerful individuals who have been elevated in status by the Imperio Idalia. Lords have the opportunity to make political decisions by participating in their city state's pyre through ways of presenting ideas and voting. Lords come from all sorts of backgrounds. Most have gained their power through accumulating wealth in a successful business. However, other influential individuals such as someone with exceptional intelligence or physical prowess could also be elevated without accumulating much wealth. A lord does not have to participate in a pyre if undesired. The title only grants them with the opportunity and social acclaim. An individual can also become a lord if chosen to be a successor by another lord, in which case they will obtain the title after the previous lord's death. The Imperio can revoke the status of any lord.
* **Vanquisher****:** Explorers and leaders of conquest. Chosen by the Imperio to lead campaigns into distant lands.

### High Class

* **Cleric:** The spiritual guides and healers of Magnolia. Servants of the Temple of Ishan. Many duties including teacher, historian, councilor, oracle, but the best is definitely volcano sacrifice.
* **Mask**: Unaffiliated, anonymous warriors that can be hired out as personal guards, spies, assassins or any other thing you want as long as you got the coin.
* **Experimentalist:** The scientific innovators of Magnolia. Create and study new technologies.

### Middle Class

* **Warrior:** The main muscle and defenders of the state
* **Scholar:** Dedicate their lives to study and teach. Often advice lords.
* **Artisan:** Blacksmith, jeweler, painter, sculptor ect

### Low Class

* **Laborer:** Logger, miner, builder ect
* **Farmer:** you know, e i, e i, o

### Bottom Class

* **Indentured Servant:** Works for any of the above ranks, doing whatever they can to pay off their debts to society
* **Scoundrel****:** Outcasts and criminals

## Ancestral Talent

Energy Transference

* Level 1: The user is able to transfer a bit of their energy to another individual, amplifying their strength and endurance. User is also able to radiate their energy in a way that makes their presence felt by others.
* Level 2: The user is able to consume the energy of those around them to amplify their own strength and endurance. User is also able to weaponize their radiated energy into physical bursts that push others away.
* Level 3: the user is able to fully transfer their essence into an other's body, allowing them to live on through them. Eventually the energy of the user and that the host will merge to form a new essence. Host must be willing or weak for transference to be successful. The process is extremely strenuous and takes about a month from start to finish. Once the transference has started it must be completed since returning to a body with no life energy is impossible.

## Homeland

#### **Landscape**

Magnolia's geography is very mountainous, with high variation in elevation. The earth is rich in minerals that are good for both farming and mining if one can navigate the terrain. The climate is naturally cold (45F 7C average) for most of the year. Magnolia has very unique seasons in that Spring lasts only about one month, Summer and Winter generally last two, and Autumn lasts the longest at seven months. Because Magnolia is in fall for most of the year, a big part of it's image is connected to it's brilliantly colored deciduous forests.

Aside from deciduous forests, Magnolia also has many redwood forests, poppy meadows, hot springs, cave systems, volcanic fissures, lava fields, black rocky beaches, cliffs, and tar pits.

#### City of Enya:

* Capital city
* home of the Imperio's palace
* general mix of ideals
* tourism hub

#### City of Lavi:

* Philosophy enthusiasts
* Trying to pick up tech advancement from Rhys but are not as efficient with it.

* Has a vicious rivalry with Hel
* Natives are called Lavinians
* The Manticore is their patron animal
* Used to be art capitol but Prom stole it and they're salty about it

#### City of Hel:

* Military enthusiasts
* Has a vicious rivalry with Lavi
* Aided Rhys in the revolt
* On thin ice with Enya
* Natives are called Heleons
* The Dragons is their patron animal

#### ~~City of Rhys:~~ The Ashlands:

* A once powerful and advanced city state
* They were major tech enthusiasts and were responsible most of the major advancements still used today.
* Leading lord tried to usurp the Imperio but were thwarted by a devastating volcanic eruption.

* Nothing but ruins. Curiously, plants have refused to grow here since the devastation.

#### City of Akim:

* Religious enthusiasts
* Was once the capital before the Imperio moved to be closer the larger city states

* A place of healing

* Also jail wardens
* Smallest population

#### City of Prom:

* Sell a lot of poppy and do a lot of art
* Historically a farming community
* Has recently become the art capital of Magnolia
* Fastest growing city state to date
* Looked down on by Hel and Lavi

#### **Plants and Animals**

Special Animals:

* Phoenix- They resemble giant eagles. The phoenix only catches fire during flight or at the end of it's life cycle so that it can be reborn again. They are rare but can be found anywhere in Magnolia. Symbol of the empire.
* Heleon Dragon - They resemble the serpentine eastern dragons. They are aggressive and instinctual. They make their homes mostly on cliff sides and caves. Patron animal of Hel.
* Manticore - Tiger/liger body with mandrill face and barbed tail. Can sometimes have bat wings but they're very rare. Intelligent and shy. Live in forests. Patron animal of Lavi.
* Fire imps - Elusive tiny cat-like creatures that can dance in the sky. Playful and harmless most of the time but have been known to start fires if threatened. Can be spotted most places from dusk to dawn.
* Obsidian Golems - Can take many forms that roughly resemble known terrestrial species. They are fire resistant and can swim in magma. They were created in the City of Rhys by ways of lost magic to be soldiers. After the city's destruction the golems went feral. They reside only in the Ashlands and are generally peaceful unless provoked.
* Smokeshifter - a shape shifting creature that always keeps it’s black fur.  Can shift between the forms of a rabbit, goat, dog, and even equine/cervine. Tricky in nature, considered terribly bad luck to spot one. Can be found anywhere where it's dark.

Common Animals:

* Foxes
* Squirrels
* Rabbits
* Song birds
* Goats