Great Caltania (CCW)

An imperial juggernaut with a very popular queen, despite the pains of a rapidly modernizing economy and widespread conflict amongst its diverse populations. Caltania has had a tumultuous past twenty years to say the least: its last queen started an industrial revolution, several wars of expansion, and caused total social upheaval before being assassinated—the Capalesian War hit hard shortly after. Caltania might be the backbone of a potentially united Celtheste now, but with another war on the horizon and internal tensions mounting, it might buckle under the pressure first.

One of the five Celthestan States and a major cultural zone of Celtheste.

Carvenac
The Painted Lady, Echo’s Dollhouse

The pristine capital of Great Caltania, built on the shores of a great lake. Observers have compared it to an elaborate porcelain tea set. Some find it difficult to believe that not long ago, this places was mostly dust and rubble. The late Queen Echo VII, upon Caltania’s ascendance, used the nation’s newfound wealth to restore old structures, rather than erect new ones in her name. And what a job her workers and artisans did—with every little detail: accents of gold, splashes of color, mosaics, friezes, banners…and in a way the people of Carvenac followed suit, dusting themselves off, becoming aware of their dress and manners, looking to the upper classes of the world to inspire their social events and rites and in general, what to do with their new found wealth. Even the beggars here are draped in silks. Thus a culture that seems very old has sprung up here very quickly and grows quickly further from the lands the city governs.

Andinport-Chamm
The River Forge, Echo’s Yard, the Mighty West Bank (Andinport), the Shop (Chamm)

The cradle of Celthestan industry and critical trade corridor, this region has become the most strategic stretch of land in Celtheste over the past 50 years. From it has sprung Celtheste’s oldest and strongest labor class, who enjoy a healthy relationship with the middle class trusts that hold ownership of the factories. The area is culturally mixed, with Lottless and Ingarians intermingling heavily, and people from all over the plains and hills migrating to find work. And despite being invaded twice in the past twenty years, its gears and pistons have not stopped their motion, plugging on alongside the unshakable, no-nonsense workers. It’s not a beautiful place, but it is vibrant and resilient, attracting a young movement of artists, writers, and musicians, trying bold new things.

Note: Andinport and Chamm are the two largest cities in this stretch along the river Luca, whose urban areas have gradually merged into one.

Cana's Shore
The Overlook

As industry expands, this once picturesque lakeside region has become overrun with giant, polluting factories, and mighty new corporations. For a people that celebrate natural beauty and hold festivals of dance, song, and flower garlands, this is a real tragedy. But no one seems to have the will to fight back. Some even say good riddance to the hypnotic dead-end that was the old Cana’s Shore—so relaxed as to be unmotivated, so slow as to be paralyzed.

Lottless Plains
The Heartland, Breadbasket of the West

The true heart of great Caltania and some say of Celtheste, these sprawling heavily populated rural plains are the breadbasket of the west and the outspoken voices of Caltania’s popular government. Plainsfolk, descended mostly from the early Lottless migrations, are unrefined, but pleasantly unpretentious; friendly and forthright; opinionated, but respectful. They are the largely agrarian, greatly unified, expansive plurality of Celthestan society. And you can see why they stay in their ways despite satire and mockery of their headstrong simplicity from all sides. Life on the plains is good: you do good work with good people, earn or make everything you need and then some. At least while no army is marching through your fields.

Blackrose Dales
The Backcountry, Deep Caltania

Like the south plains, the Dales are home to many Lottless Folk, but unlike their farming cousins, the dalefolk were not blessed with rich soil. Instead they were blessed with deep and dangerous mines. And while these mines could make them unimaginably wealthy, the dalefolk do not like outside folk to tell them what to do with their land, or their neighbors. Or their mothers or fathers. And they certainly do not want anyone showing up at their doorstep. How long can this last? Sorely needed resources under the feet of Celtheste’s smelliest, unfriendliest, backwards landowners…

Silvy-Bluecolumn
The Flame of Caltania

Homeland of Caltanian Queens, this region has been celebrated throughout the world for its unique integration of Midlander and Onosh culture. With their characteristic butterfly patterns; sandy orange, electric blues, and inky blacks; hearty, flavorful cuisines; sensual dancing; worldly, passionate attitude; and matriarchal social structure—they were always somewhat offensive to the rest of Caltania. Their political ascendance and popularity with foreigners only alienated them further—despite the fact that most Byruedoneons consider themselves lottless plainsfolk like any other. Twenty years ago they were forced to prove this cultural kinship. Queen Echo VII ordered an apartheid and expelled those with “significant Onosh blood,” to their ancestral lands. Now the region, stripped of its core identity and a third of its population, struggles with a fresh collective trauma.

Note: Also known as Silvy-Byruedon, or simply Byruedon, for the region's main province.

Lantany
The Stolen Home

What was once the most fraught and violent region of Celtheste is now a stable and pleasant place, but for some very uncomfortable reasons. No descendants of the original Clana Lantas remain in the area, despite the population here calling themselves Lantans, and proudly tracing their roots back to the namesake hero. The relatively transparent truth is that modern Lantans are in fact descendants of aggressive Enekhites that have in several waves, ethnically cleansed the region, leaving a strongly Enekhite culture with a veneer of the old Lantany one.

Ducade-Highland Strongholds
The Scrub, Fight City (Ducade), Corvael Plateau (geographical)

Many Cities have fallen and risen in this area, all revolving around the strongholds of the Corvael Plateau; religious military orders with impenetrable fortresses that compete against each other in diplomatic and military conflicts. The winner for about two centuries now has been a cabal of five strongholds that exerted bloody dominance over the region on behalf of a Caltanian Queen. The five strongholds eventually coalesced into one sprawling, putrid urban hellscape that became the city of Ducade. In the city and in the rugged highlands around it, the laws of might makes right still applies. While many strongholds have been weakened and even physically gutted, each settlement remains an island; fearful and hostile to the others. Outlaw bands roam the dust and scrub, raiding and capturing. In Ducade itself, the power struggle is between megalithic gangs which, despite the best efforts of the Five Cabal, effectively rule the city.

River Strongholds
The Scholar Strongholds

While the highlands gave into the lust for power and forgot their religion, the river strongholds remained faithful. This is not to say that the Riverlands are devoid of struggle and competition, just that the struggles are layered under long confessions of faith and tomes of theological inquiry. Rather than cannons and armies, the brothers and sisters of the South Riverlands employ blackmail and public humiliation as their choice weapons. Instead of arrows, they let long furious letters and dissertations fly, from one ivy covered fortress to another, whose walls the village children climb to peer in through the smoky glass, whose gargoyles they perch on to throw stones at the scholars pacing in their gardens.

Aylees
The Lion’s Mouth (Aylees City)

Originally a Sunyan colony, rather than a Midlandish settlement, Aylees has always taken a different course than the rest of Celtheste: less moralistic, more permissive, but not necessarily more tolerant. Some might call its celebrations garish, its wine and pleasure houses depraved, but Aylesians know how to clean up and appear perfectly respectful in the morning. And there is the music of course, everywhere: the famous sunrise and sunset songs, the street performers and parades, and rooftop clubs. All in all, a city that seems to sway and teeter to a beat.

Note: Pronounced AYE-LEESH. Dominated by Aylees City, but this region also includes Aylees Country, with quieter towns that nevertheless mimic the capital whenever they can.

Hauleberk
Caltania’s brand new Vadraedic port

When Caltania finally snagged a bit of coastline, it wasted no time building its very own ocean port, transformed from what was once just a tiny fishing village. Barely twenty years old and all scaffolding and dangerous working conditions, the culture of Hauleberk is still being formed as it experiences a massive population boom. For now it is the cold breath of the sea and children flying up and down ladders; hundreds of barrels and boxes crowded onto platforms—sailors climbing up and over them to find a place to stand. At night the place is lit with bonfires. Camps crowd around them, chanting, singing, taunting at one another, their voices clear against the smooth rock faces of the Seariser mountains, the static in the air—the excitement of something new, something bright.