northcliffpass | Setting

World

Maireglenne, the isle of light

Maireglenne (pr. mare-GLENN-eh), an island kingdom approximately the size of Iceland, situated in a remote northern sea where, from the black sands and rocky cliffs overlooking the waves it is not at all uncommon to witness breaching whales and glacial peaks. Autumn and winter brings howling gales off the sea, but in the spring and summer those same winds are a warm and temperate blessing.

The kingdom gains its moniker, the Isle of Light, from two sources: its extremely long days during the summer months, and as the birthplace of a religion that has come to span the known world, the Path of Light. It is easier to dwell on faith and this good fortune from the gods, rather than to acknowledge Maireglenne’s other name during the long, bitter nights of winter—the Isle of Darkness.

Some notes: Maireglenne is not a major player on the international political stage, despite being the birthplace of the world’s most significant religion. The Unification--the several century-long civil war amongst the duchies as the dukes and duchesses fought for control over the island--has scarred the land as well as the collective psyche of the population. Those who are privileged enough to be educated (namely the clergy and the titled nobility) view the great political games of the larger, more influential nations as a blasphemous provocation of the gods’ wrath.

Geography

It’s probable that Maireglenne is the highest point of a larger land mass that was engulfed by the sea at the end of a lengthy ice age. Glaciers carved deep fjords into the northernmost coastal duchies; these waters remain bitterly cold, but offer good fishing and are nurseries for the sea whales and their young calves.

The most easily accessible and habitable land on the island is along its coastal waters; in the south, the black sands of the beaches slowly give way to grassy prairies. The western and eastern shorelines are both dominated by dangerous rocky protrusions that make finding save harbour difficult without a reliable navigational chart. The middle of the island is dominated by a craggy mountain range, and a single active volcano that is prone to oozing an alarming quantity of lava from time to time. The peculiar combination of the mountain range, volcano, and moisture from the seas has created an odd climate anomaly; near the city of Cliffside, there has grown and flourished a deep forest.

Trade routes between duchies are by land or by boat; braving the westernmost shoreline is a risky proposition, as the winds off the sea are galeforce. A talented seaman might brave the journey, but most would rather not take the risk, and will elect to transport goods via caravan.

The Duchies

Maireglenne is composed of five duchies:

The Fjords in the north; its miserably cold and sparsely populated capitol is Griston, which is also the seat of the Duke of the Fjords

Cliffside, the centre-most duchy situated amongst the craggy mountains and near the volcano, Gods’ Reach.

Southsea, which shares a border with Cliffside, and is the most densely populated of the duchies; the capitol city of Fairport is the seat of the crown, and the Archbishop of the Path of Light.

Woodsedge, the easternmost duchy; its most famous landmark is the now deserted ruin of the city Turn, which travelers do their best to avoid.

Black Rock, the westernmost duchy, named for the shitty black crags that pass for a western coastline.

Northcliff Pass

The epicenter of your characters’ world, whether they like it or not. Located on a pilgrimage path, and near enough to the larger township of Northcliff, life is hard and opportunities are few. Life in the village revolves around the ecclesiastical calendar, which determines which gods hold sway during a given season (and therefore which saints should be prayed to most fervently)--and also what social events to look forward to.

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The Fjords in the north; its miserably cold and sparsely populated capitol is Griston, which is also the seat of the Duke of the Fjords
Cliffside, the centre-most duchy situated amongst the craggy mountains and near the volcano, Gods’ Reach.
Southsea, which shares a border with Cliffside, and is the most densely populated of the duchies; the capitol city of Fairport is the seat of the crown, and the Archbishop of the Path of Light.
Woodsedge, the easternmost duchy; its most famous landmark is the now deserted ruin of the city Turn, which travelers do their best to avoid.
Black Rock, the westernmost duchy, named for the shitty black crags that pass for a western coastline.

Maireglenne is a monarchy, albeit one newly born out of a three century-long civil war* amongst the island’s five duchies. At the conclusion of the war, and with the considerable aid of the Archbishop and the support of the church, one family rose triumphant above the rest: the Varenses (change later), of Fairport. In the immediate aftermath of their ascension, the Varenses consolidated authority over the realm in Fairport; while execution of a few key political opponents was to be expected, the new royal family granted clemency to a number of lesser participants in a surprising show of restraint.

* the war reached its end in 1210, just over 100 years ago, so no one alive today would have witnessed it!

Edited 2019-03-14 01:36 (UTC)

Today, the crown monarch of Maireglenne is Queen Edolina, Duchess of Southsea, of House Varens.

The other crown dukes of the realm are:

Galein Elers, Duke of Cliffside
Felicity Farrington, Duchess of Woodsedge
Althea Jessamy, Duchess of Black Rock
Geir the Nail, Duke of the Fjords*

Other titled noble families:

The Artemes of Southsea, cousins to the Crown
The Howarths of Southsea
The Rou-Talvaces, of both Cliffside and Woodsedge
The Stafn of the Fjords

* nobility and land titles are handled a bit differently up here

Edited 2019-03-09 01:17 (UTC)

Setting

World

Maireglenne, the isle of light

Geography

The Duchies

Northcliff Pass

the duchies;

geopolitical crap;

government;

noble families & houses;