Geography:
Nochnaya lies in the far North of Aeltharia, a frozen realm of eternal winter draped in shadow and silence. Its frost-clad lands know little of light, for all the flora here bears no light of bioluminescence, and the long night renders travel perilous and slow. The dark forests are feared by many, said to be the haunts of fell creatures, demons of The Wild Hunt, or savages driven mad by darkness. Thus, none should wander its paths alone, for many explorers have vanished seeking the hearths of civilization or the hidden dens where gentle beasts abide, offering warmth and shelter to those who brave the cold and the consuming dark. Only the brave can endure winter’s deadly blight.
Those who set foot in The Nation of Truth would do well to heed the words of the Northerners, for their counsel is born of bitter winters and harrowing memories. Movement is life in this land, where the cold is so ferocious that stillness beneath the open sky can bring swift death. Warm furs and cloaks may shield the body, yet even they may fail before the fury of blizzards that sweep the North with relentless might. The chill deepens with every stride taken toward the continent’s farthest reaches, and those who dare ascend the towering peaks will find the air thin, the frost merciless, and the mountains crowned with an unyielding and undying cold beneath the omniscient stars.
Though the North may appear bleak and forsaken, it remains the cherished home of nearly all Nochnayans, who strive ceaselessly to better their lives amidst the frost and shadow. They venture beyond their city walls into the darkest wilds, driving back the evils that dwell there and kindling light and hope in their stead. Through such labors, faint bioluminescence now softly glimmers in root and soil, a fragile testament to their perseverance. Yet the grim darkness of this winter realm still overshadows all beauty wrought by craft or sorcery. And though the shadow endures, the Nochnayans lift their eyes to the dancing auroras above and find solace in the precious gift of life.
Characteristics:
The Nochnayans are a cautious and steadfast people, shaped by long ages of hardship beneath a hostile sky. Ever beset by change, by the ruthlessness of their land and the endless scourge of monsters more numerous than in any other realm, they have grown wary of seeing the familiar swept away. Thus, they labor to ensure their homeland shall never again be broken by dreadful forces, nor their identity remade by vile hands. To this end, they strengthen their defenses and armies, and rebuild what is lost with careful craft, raising walls and halls that mirror the memory of what once stood, defying time’s upheaval and the world’s relentless tides with both conviction and patience.
The Northerners are known for their guarded hearts and quiet ways, often revealing little of their own frailties even to one another. This springs from a deep desire to remain steadfast and courageous in the face of misfortune, though such restraint is never meant to scorn the tender act of vulnerability. Among the Nochnayans, kinship transcends blood, and the strength of the nation endures through unity and shared purpose. Yet for all their sternness, they are not without warmth; dark humor often lightens their burdens, and the hearths of their homes are filled with laughter and firm companionship. Above all, they cherish life itself and guard it with unwavering conviction.
The first thing most outsiders observe when beholding a Nochnayan is their striking appearance: long black hair, dark eyes like polished obsidian, and garments woven in deepest shadow. This is so because Nochnaya is where the power of darkness runs strongest. Their skin, pale as moonlight, is made paler still by the biting cold. Some among them bear hair or eyes of diverse hues, their colors reflecting a bond with differing magical sources, yet they are few beside those attuned to shadow’s embrace. The Northerners are also known for their fur-lined raiment and sinewed strength, their durable bodies hardened by harsh winters, often lean in form yet stronger than regular folk.
Politics:
The Evernight Emissary reigns as the sovereign of Nochnaya and the wise mediator between the four great factions that govern The Nation of Truth. It is the Emissary’s charge to preserve harmony among them, ensuring their endeavors move as one toward the enduring prosperity of their realm, even amid the blizzards and the monstrous menaces that haunt the frozen North. This title is granted only to one shrouded in secrecy, who most marvelously embodies the essence of Shadow, impartial, tempered, and wise. Yet such a ruler must hold firm counsel with both the factional lords and the common folk, that wisdom and understanding may ever increase between both sides.
The Sokrovishche holds mastery over commerce and craft, guiding the vast guilds of merchants who safeguard the flow of trade, labor, and opportunity throughout the frozen land. Its guildmasters gather in council to deliberate upon ventures that may uplift the people and strengthen the nation’s wealth, while ensuring that the laws of fair exchange are known and kept, even by adventurers. In close accord they work with The Svetotvortsy, the artisans and inventors who dwell in radiant workshops, forging wonders of magic, art, and craft. For without the makers’ skill and vision, the merchants would have no treasures to bear across the world and enrich the people they serve.
Yet the artisans’ wondrous creations are not born from craft alone, for much of their inspiration springs from the discoveries of The Shadowsworn. This secretive order wanders the hidden paths of Aeltharia, seeking lost lore and forgotten truths, which they share with the Svetotvortsy that ancient works may be rekindled and given form anew. The Shadowsworn also serve as learned scholars, guiding the young in the mysteries of magic, wisdom, and the many arts that shape their destiny. Among the paths they teach lies that of The Wightwatch, whose solemn charge is to guard the North against the madness of monsters and shadows, standing ever vigilant beneath the moon.
Military:
The Wightwatch stand foremost among the factions, their strength born of martial power and unseen wisdom. As silent guardians, they move within shadow and secrecy, seeking out and destroying all that would endanger the North. Over them rules The Lord Commander, who devises every strategy and directs the missions carried forth by The Thirteen Harbingers, each entrusted with authority to act as necessity demands. Yet all their honorable deeds must remain bound to the ancient oaths and the code of honor sworn by every Watcher upon induction. Thus, responsibility and unwavering skill are held sacred within their order and in their mission to defend the people.
To the Wightwatch, knowledge and foresight are treasures far greater than gold, for through them they stand ever prepared to defend Nochnaya from the perils that loom beyond its walls. The Watchers move unseen, cloaked in shadow, observing the cities from afar and gathering what tidings they may before judging when and where to act. So too do they keep vigil over the outlying towns, farms, and villages, which lie exposed to the prowling horrors of demon and beast. For though the cities are girded like fortresses of war, the countryside remains frail and open. Thus the Watchers must all keep their eyes keen and their hearts steadfast, lest more innocents be lost.
In the wild reaches of Nochnaya, the Wightwatch send forth expeditions into forsaken lands to cleanse them of demons and fell beasts before their evil can spread. Scouts are dispatched ahead to survey the field, gathering knowledge ere they return to counsel their commanders. From such reports, careful designs are woven to ensure victory with as little loss as may be borne. For the life of every Watcher is precious, a flame to be kindled with wisdom and passed to those who follow. The destruction of the foe must be swift and absolute, leaving no shadow of danger behind. In their service, nothing is left to chance, nor any peril left for the Nochnayans of the North.
Religion:
The Northerners place their faith first in their own strength rather than in The Goddess of Creation, whom they revere yet question. To them, she is not an infallible power but a benevolent spirit, mighty yet capable of error in her designs. For if her love and compassion is endless, why then did she not descend in mercy during the Cataclysm, when countless lives were lost to ruin and despair? If her hand can shape the heavens, why did she not stay the storm before it fell upon the world? In time, the Northerners perceived her silence as purpose, believing the Goddess herself had granted all beings the freedom to shape their own fates throughout the duration of their lives.
Were the Goddess to intervene in every calamity, mortals would not grow in strength but wither in spirit, becoming ever dependent upon the power they worship. Thus, many travelers find that the Nochnayans regard the Goddess not with resentment, but with understanding. They perceive that even the divine possess both virtue and limit, and that wisdom lies in knowing this truth. Hence, the Northerners honor the Goddess as one worthy of reverence and love, yet not blind devotion. In their hearts, they believe that should she walk among them, she too might learn joy within the magnificent world she shaped. A sphere filled with beautiful art, fair songs, and wonders besides.
This ancient faith finds its roots in the teachings of The Shadowsworn and their studies of the Golden Age, when the elves walked among mortals as friends and kindred spirits. From the surviving texts of the Ascension, it is told that mortals beheld the elves as nearer to themselves than they had ever known, though fairer in wisdom and form. For the elves too knew the words of compassion, sorrow, and remorse, and shared in the burdens of the world. Thus, if The Divine could possess hearts so akin to mortal kind, then surely their deity, the Goddess of Creation, bears the same grace within her, as she nurtured them from the dawn of time. An ancient time long lost to memory.
Economy:
The unyielding strength of Nochnaya lies not only in the faith of its people, whose resolve sustains the nation through hardship, but also in the bounty of its land. From the frozen North they harvest black wool, shadow-touched hides, and minerals imbued with the essence of darkness itself. Though the realm lies beneath a mantle of snow and ice, it is veiled in an ancient, dark shadow, for Nochnaya stands upon the very heart of that element’s power. These rare materials are coveted by many beyond its borders, for they are said to hold the secret craft of concealment, and in skilled hands may forge artifacts unseen by mortal eyes and hidden from the monsters of madness.
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Here The Svetotvortsy take their position, for none beyond them possess greater mastery in the shaping of mystical artifacts that veil the sorcerer in secrecy and shadow. Their craft surpasses even that of the crafty mages and sorcerers of Thalethys, who wield the seven sources of magic with artful might. Once their work is wrought, the Svetotvortsy join in counsel with the wise merchants of The Sokrovishche, who bear these treasures across the Northern markets, bartering in coin or in goods of equal worth. Should any discord or deceit arise in any dire trade, The Wightwatch are swiftly called to judge the matter and see justice done for both the victims and the villains.
The Nochnayans are well-versed in the dark art of necromancy, for they all hold that the dead may yet serve a purpose beyond the grave, as they did in life. Through solemn rites and perilous experiments, they have learned to tether mortal souls to the world as wraiths or phantoms, preserving memory and mind within the veil of death. Yet other forms of undeath endure, such as the mindless thralls men call zombies, strong corpses that walk, bearing the strength they held in life but emptied of soul and thought. These dread creatures obey the will of their masters through relics of sorcery and silent command. Such knowledge may be traded, yet only under oaths of restraint.
Education:
Strength and endurance may preserve a people, yet they falter if wisdom is not passed to those who follow. Power and prosperity alone cannot secure the legacy of a nation. Thus, The Shadowsworn labor not only to uncover the hidden truths of Aeltharia, but to instruct the youth of Nochnaya in the noble disciplines of magic, mathematics, art, history, science, and wisdom. Every Northerner is expected to master at least these foundations, though the wise strive to learn them all. For the North is a realm both beautiful and merciless, and those who meet its cold embrace unprepared are soon fully claimed by the frost and forgotten by time, or by the threats within the dark.
The Shadowsworn established many great halls of learning, where students of every kind may gather from dawn until dusk upon the lengthy weekdays. Instruction is granted with fairness and care by devoted professors, whose wisdom and tireless labor shape the mentality of the young. Such dedication reaches even to those who falter, for none are forsaken; those challenged by sickness or laziness are gently guided back to their studies until their former intellect and strength returns. Even in times of weariness, the pursuit of sage knowledge is held sacred, for to waste the hours of learning is to forsake the light that wisdom bestows upon all who seek the truth of the magical world.
Students are instructed in both the simple and the profound, mastering their lessons through written trials within the halls and through practical tests set in the field. Yet above all, they are taught the art of survival, to endure alone amidst the dread wilderness of the North, where The Wild Hunt rides and demons prowl unseen. There too lurk monsters whose cunning rivals that of men, and whose strength shows no mercy to the careless. Such training bids each pupil to craft their own tools and brave the darkness without folly or fear. For only through caution and cunning may one prevail and live to see the dawn, and learn what must be known to withstand the trials yet to come.
Chernolesye (Чернолесье):
Chernoleyse stands as a metropolis, wrought in black stone, a city veiled in shadow to the edge of its walls. Its towers and halls rise like broad keeps and soaring castles, each built firm as a tight fortress against time and siege. Many outsiders feel dread upon entering, as though the great darkness itself might swallow them whole. Yet this fear is misplaced, for the city is not unwelcoming. Its people are reserved, courteous, and measured in word and deed. Such manners are born of vigilance, for the citizens of Chernoleyse dwell amid frozen lands where peril is constant, facing threats beyond their choosing, yet learned to be endured and fought by those hardened by winter.
Along its streets stand many shops and counting halls, kept by merchants who labor to enrich their realm, so that its miraculous strength and survival may not wane. Those who seek the newest wares may gather within great market halls, where goods are bought, bartered, and exchanged. There too are found inns, winehouses, cafés, and quiet teahouses, where travelers may rest, speak freely, or share counsel. Though Nochnaya’s trade is humbler than that of Sha’nekht, its merchants prize trust above splendor, ensuring every craft is sound and every bargain fair. Should cunning deceit arise, the Svetotvortsy swiftly intervene, setting matters right with steady hand alone.
The Svetotvortsy stand as the governing hand of the merchant metropolis, setting law and custom to guide every trader and every civic affair. In total concert with them labor The Sokrovishche, who visit to ensure that crafted goods answer the true needs of commerce. Honor is also rightfully owed to The Shadowsworn, whose schools shape the minds of future citizens, and to the vigilant Wightwatch, who purge hidden monsters from street and hall alike. Thus the city endures, stern in tradition yet rich in splendor, a place where discipline governs wealth, and prosperity is guarded by knowledge, order, and the silent watch of steel and ancient duty until the end of all ages.
Khrustalnyy (Хрустальный):
Khrustalnyy shines as a city of wonder, set apart from other northern halls such as Chernoleyse, whose streets lie deep in shadow rather than light. Its architecture is wrought of snow, ice, and crystal, shaped with patient craft until the whole city gleams like a living jewel within Nochnaya’s winter realm. Those who enter feel an immediate ease and quiet awe, as though the warmth of a timeless festival never fades. This essence lives in the radiant adornments upon tall trees, towers, and bridges alike, each reflecting gentle light across the frostbound streets. Thus Khrustalnyy stands as a lighthouse, offering the North enduring hope that light may yet endure within darkness.
There is light indeed for those who wander the streets and enter the many craftshops, where artisans pour their devotion into shaping artifacts, tools, furnishings, and materials that seem like gifts from The Heavens, or from the elves of old. Such skill is not chance, but the fruit of centuries of patient labor, honed so the North may endure hardship with works of unmatched quality. Even a simple toy, wrought with care, may grant a little child hope at life’s first turning. These labors are guided by The Sokrovishche and sustained by the wealth and order of The Svetotvortsy, whose patronage ensures beauty and purpose stand unbroken against darkness and madness.
The Sokrovishche stand as the voice and guardians of the City of Wonder, guiding its prosperity beneath their careful oversight. They uphold law and order, yet their watch extends also to the marvelous items and innovations wrought by its people. Each work is observed within renowned craftshops, that safety and harmony may be preserved for all who labor there. Yet the manner of creation is left free, for invention must not be bound by heavy chains if it is to flourish. When a great work is complete, it is set before the Svetotvortsy, whose judgment deems it worthy to pass into the markets of the realm where the people may obtain the tools required to endure and live.
Tainokrai (Тайнокрай):
Tainokrai stands solemn and exacting, a haven and refuge for scholars who yearn to unveil the hidden workings of the world. The city itself is woven of innumerable universities and halls of learning, raised as majestic keeps and ancient mansions. An air of quiet mystery clings to every quarter, for many places may be entered only by wit proven through riddles, or by the stern leave of headmasters and learned masters who guard the inner courts. Such discipline is no cruelty, but purpose, for it urges students and travelers alike to hone their intellect, seek truth, and shape answers from whatever intricate knowledge and perception they bear, through long years and ages enduring.
Education and elegance are held in high honor within the City of Mysteries, though its discipline is gentler than the iron rigor of Denryoku, yet sterner than the lenient ways of Thalethys. Even so, Tainokrai remains exacting, and its masters press their pupils toward the edge of their wit. They teach not only knowledge, but the subtle art of deception, that students may later mislead foes and seize advantage when the hour is ripe. Yet triumph must never breed carelessness, for fortune is fickle, and the turning of moments may swiftly grant favor to another hand, undoing the proud and the unwary alike in times of hidden peril. Thus must one remain vigilant and cautious.
The Shadowsworn rule the city with an iron will, keen as a hidden blade, striking down any who bar their path. This severity is reserved for foes, demons, monsters, hoarders, and thieves, who would withhold the lore by which vampires may grow in mind and body. Yet the edge is turned inward as well, a warning to the people and to their own wise steward, who serves as Tainokrai’s mayor, to keep ceaseless watch. Thus the academic city lives in measured caution, discreet and vigilant, seeking knowledge with care, guarding wisdom dearly, and lifting its gaze toward mysteries of the world and The Divine beyond all, in thoughtful silence and everlasting reverence.
Tikhodom (Тиходом):
Tikhodom stands as the most dreadful and perilous city in all Aeltharia. Its air is so grim and lethal that all who enter are compelled to confront a single thought: do you fear death. Mortality clings to every stone, for its borders lie hard against dark forests, yawning caverns, and the haunted mountains where The Wild Hunt roams. There demons and monsters rise without any mercy, slaying any living sanguine they behold. The city of the dead was wrought to endure endless war, with vast mausoleums, tombs, graveyards, and catacombs shaped into a single fortress. Such terror reigns that travelers feel as though they have already crossed beyond life and into the darkness.
There linger countless phantoms and spirits of the North, souls of the fallen who refuse release, choosing instead to guard the innocent until their entire essence fades to nothing. Such is the price they willingly bear. The people of Tikhodom are paler than any sanguine, bearing an aspect of undeath as they govern the city and fashion abominations, zombies, and ranks of brave skeletal warriors to oppose the Wild Hunt. In battle they fight with intense and monstrous ferocity, so savage that strangers doubt their humanity. Yet beyond the terror, these folk are strangely kind, delighting at times in cold, eerie manner to startle others, and laugh thereafter in grim northern humor.
This is why many regard The Wightwatch with wary eyes, for their grim humor sometimes strays too far. They themselves say that such mirth deeply tempers the dread of Tikhodom, lest despair wholly claim it. Happiness is hard won in a city steeped in death and frost, where even the dead feel little of what they once knew. Yet on rare occasions the Wightwatch have forged true bonds, not only with the fallen spirits, but even with certain developed abominations that have awakened to thought. Such bleak warmth they deem necessary, for only thus may they endure the long war against the plague that has haunted the North since the first days of the cruel The Cataclysm.
