Central Windrose

Central Windrose, more commonly known as **Central**, is a province in the country of Windrose in the Windrose world. It is one of the most inhabited regions of the country, and is home to the Windrosi capital of Bluebell, as well as several other important locations.

#### History

Some time in the last one thousand years, central Windrose was settled by migrants from Lancata. Over the centuries, various cities such as Allium grew in importance and their ruling dynasties became prominent regional powers. The city of Bluebell was established at some point in time, and while it was originally a small farming settlement, it eventually became a city of some note due to becoming an important meeting point for the royals of Eurus, Gladiolus, the Titanium Peaks, and Gaillardia. At some point in recent history, the company of Aranea was founded and set up its headquarters in Bluebell. The technological discovered produced by Aranea eventually transformed Bluebell into a center of industry as well as a center of politics.

During the One Week War, while Central itself didn't see many battles, Aranea had a heavy influence in the war, supplying both troops and weapons to the armies of Notus and Eurus. Many knights from Central participated in the war, leading to the ultimate end of knighthood in Windrose as most of the remaining knights died in the fighting. The impacts of the war on Notus especially would influence the history of Central as well, as thousands of Notan migrants, including the royal family of Gladiolus, fled the region during and after the war. The royals of Gladiolus set up a new power base in Allium, and many Notan civilians fled to Bluebell seeking work and shelter. Rather than rejecting the refugees, Aranea used the newfound labor base to boost its industry and economy, growing further and further in size and scope until Bluebell morphed into a massive vertical city with Aranea as its effective political heads. Aranea assisted in the establishment of the Ars Tellum initiative by dedicating manpower to the retrieval and burning of magic items in a massive furnace in Bluebell. They also backed the Windrosi government's various cultural reforms following the war.

#### Geography and Ecology

Central is a generally temperate region, with vast forests surrounding Bluebell to the north, south, and west. The region immediately surrounding Bluebell, as well as the Echo Chapparal to the south and the regions of the Calm and Primrose to the east, consist primarily of vast temperate plains. Central claims dominion over parts of Lake Chantilly, and certain parts of the Titanium Peaks mountain range are considered a part of Central. A handful of pockets of land surrounding Bluebell have become desert wasteland as a result of early Aranean rocket experiments, the most notable of which is the Rocket Wastes, a large desert that has been heavily polluted by decades of Aranean waste disposal.

#### Political Structure

While, like most of Windrose, settlements are generally allowed to govern themselves, Aranea does wield a large amount of political and military force in Central. The company provides important modern infrastructure such as railways and radios to nearby towns, and the Aranean Security Division occasionally takes the role of the military or police force in certain towns of note. In some extreme cases, Aranea can take full control of various settlements, with the privilege to order such drastic policies as a mass evacuation from a town in the case of a disease breakout.

#### Culture

The culture of Central is very community-focused, a trait the region shares with many other regions in Windrose. Communities are often as well-connected as nuclear families. Most kinds of non-harmful love and attraction are fully accepted in all communities. Many communities in Central outside of Bluebell rely on farming as their main source of economic growth and participation. Central is also notable for possessing a particularly non-present magical tradition, preferring to rely primarily on Aranean technology for various amenities.

A variety of bloodlines are common in Central, including rabbit-people, plant-people, butterfly-people, and bird-people. Following the One Week War, there is also a notable minority of cat-people as a result of Notan migration.

#### Notable Central Windrosi

* Delphi
* Selyf Auriel
* Atticus Jaggins