Cloudlands

## Overview

The Cloudlands, also referred to as the Cloud, is the sprawling world that reflects the current state of Earth.

The name comes from how it's hidden: behind a lone cloud in the sky, out of human reach or knowledge, except for fairytales and campfire stories. No human from Earth knows it really exists, they just believe the Cloudlands are lore, akin to places written about in Grimm fairytales.

## Regions Overview

It's comprised of 6 regions, which cover around ten different biomes. To the north sits Shade Province, which is mostly comprised of temperate woodland forests and rivers. East of Shade Province is Nemus County, which for the most part is uninhabited, partly due to the colder climate, but also because of the rocky and dense taiga and alpine forests. Below Nemus County is the Eastern Peak, which many consider to be part of Nemus. It has two villages that mostly rely on seasonal hunting and mining to survive, and the population commonly changes with the seasons. South of Shade and west of Nemus lies the Badlands, an unforgivingly hot during the day and freezing at night desert bordered by arid grasslands. The coast here is rocky and rough, almost impossible to fish, but a few people live off the sea, selling the rare fish for a hefty profit in the large trading hub in the northernmost part of the Badlands. South of the Badlands is the Sandtides, another harsh desert with strong winds all year round. The western coasts are beautiful, bordered in a tropical rainforest, and boasts the large beach city of Port Hydes, which is the biggest harbor in the Cloud. At the southern end of the Cloudlands is the beautiful Regathia Province, an area covered with mossy trees and far stretching grasslands. It is home to the Cloud's largest city, a hauntingly beautiful market-turned-village that grew and grew. Regathia City is known for its birds, both domestic and wild.

A salt sea surrounds the Cloudlands, and there are many other islands and areas out there, along with other groups of people and civilizations who are also under the Palace's jurisdiction. However, the farther out you go, the stormier the waters get, and eventually it's too late to turn back. The stormy seas transform your boat and everyone aboard, and then spit you out into Earth's own oceans, a whole new person with a new memory and identity, going home. Despite having a new life, certain things are never completely forgotten, and although all memories of the Cloud are wiped clean, some strong feelings about a previous lifetime remain.

## Shade Province

Also see: The Palace

The second most populated region, Shade Province is home to the center of jurisdiction for the Cloud, where many of the Mages work and live alongside each other as they keep the world stable.

The Palace is the key component to keeping everything in shape, and it's from there that the royal family governs. It also acts as a base for all core magical activity, and almost all magical or otherwise special books and artifacts are housed there. Around 75% of the active mages and other immortal or magical people live in Shade Province, given the close proximity to the magical hub.

Other than the Palace, Shade Province has three cities, two small and one large. Other population is sparsely scattered across the region, mostly in the southwest areas.