Elucia

## The Realm of Elucia

Two hundred years ago, the realm of Elucia was in a state of constant war. The six countries that divided it's territory were locked in an eternal struggle to control the limited resources of the land. This nebulous conflict threatened to consume the last of the very resources that it was carried out over, all in the name of being the last ones to survive. This inevitable doom crept closer and closer, until a most fortuitous event took place: Geomancy was discovered.

A young gnome, whether by simple chance or a stroke of genius, found that the most common of crystals, when treated in just the right way, had incredible properties. The crystals we now know as Realm Shards could store, transmit, and even amplify the magical abilities of the world. The process was incredibly simple, and the practice even more so. The possible uses were endless, and with enough Realm Shards used in the right way, nearly anything would be possible.(edited)

Perhaps most fortuitous of all though, was how plentiful and nearly universally distributed these crystals were. Nearly anywhere on the continent they could be easily dug up, and the practice of Geomancy was not only easy to practice, but also easy to teach, and this knowledge spread like wildfire across the land, and all manner of magical folk took to it like flies to honey. It seemed as though no matter your magical background you could manipulate the crystals once you knew how. And with this spread of knowledge, the technology surrounding this practice grew by leaps and bounds.

Soon, with the use of the shards, the struggles of gathering, transporting, and distributing resources across the land, which in the past had led to tension, scarcity, and violence, were gone. As more of these issues became trivial, so too did the wars that broke out over them. What such a short time ago seemed an endless raging fire of war, quickly dwindled to embers, and a future without the pain and loss of war seemed possible.

In order to solidify this fragile peace, the Six entered into the Crystal Accords, an agreement that they would hold a truce in order to share this incredible advancement with each other, not only for the good of their people but the good of the realm.

A city was established in the center of the Six, a monument to cooperation and  peace, trade and progress. The city would be named Alescia, after it's namesake Alesci Quickthought, the father of Geomancy, and it remains to this day a resplendent altar to the future of the realm.(edited)

Of course, nothing is perfect, and tensions still exist in the world. Whether between races, countries, or individuals, squabbles and arguments still arise. But these are mostly easily resolved, and put down quickly. Old racial tensions are dissolving, and the world seems poised to continue this unprecedented peace.

But as with any good adventure, dark whispers have begun to spread around the land, and the realm itself seems to have an air of unease amongst all this peace.

This is where you come in. In a world of plenty, adventuring is a common profession and pastime. Traveling the land and solving problems is a worthwhile endeavor, both for those with a penchant for adrenaline and for filling their pockets.

And amongst adventurers, one of the most revered event is the annual Tournament of Champions. Held once each year in one of the minor cities of the realm of Eldvale (a realm historically populated mostly by humans), it draws interest from the entire realm.

The city of Abbington hosts this tournament, and a week of festivities leads up to the main event, where teams are sent into the surrounding woods and mountains and are told to being back a trophy from the most fearsome beast they can find. The team to bring back the deadliest catch wins the pot, and goes home not only with the satisfaction of victory, but with a fat purse.

Whether you seek glory or gold, each of you has made your way to Abbington to participate, and we will start our adventure on the eve of the tourney.