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  In reality, the population of Geardagas lives mostly along the coast, with some smaller settlements and outposts more inland because of The Wilde. Very few people find the sprawling, largely uncharted forests that make up much of the continent to be habitable, due to the nature of the territory. The River Temese does cut through this forest, and connects Aefenglom with some other locations in Geardagas, but it isn't recommended for unseasoned travelers to explore. There be monsters here, and they're not the ones that live amongst the citizens of Geardagas - not anymore, anyways. It is within the Parliament's best interests to try and cut back the Wilde, where possible, so as to eliminate further threats. The capital is wildly disputed, although most would claim it's Aefenglom, as it's home to the largest branch of the Coven and is where the first Wall was built to protect the citizens from the Cwyld. "You are here." ▪ 1502 sq km (580 sq mi), excluding the Outer City ▪ 1553 sq km (600 sq mi), including the Outer City ▪ population of approx. 1 million ▪ approx. 6 hours for the average person to walk from one cardinal point to the other, from any direction, within the Inner City Aefenglom ( æ ven ɡlom ) is a bustling city, full of constant activity and commerce. Every day is something new, and there should never, ever be a boring day for the typical citizen, let alone the new arrivals. The streets are home to every walk of life, from the rich to the poor to the very, incredibly lost. If one were to compare the architecture to an Earth style that could be called familiar, it'd be best to say Victorian. Imposing, complicated, with towering spires, the buildings are pressed close together in residential neighborhoods and almost seem sprawling in the grand scheme. The general climate of the city - and much of Geardagas - is fairly temperate. Summers are warm, winters are cool, and the only downside many people see is that it's a little overcast. This can't be acredited to the industrial smog, as Aefenglom has always been like this, and there isn't a week where there isn't a bit of a misty rain in warmer months, or light snowfall in colder months. Streets in Aefenglom are largely cobblestone, which causes wheeled travel to be a little clunky at times. The quality of the streets degrades as one travels further to the lowerclass, and is nonexistent in the slums of the Outer City. The city prioritizes the quality of the Wall over anything else, so there might be places you'll find the upkeep wanting. While a great deal of mystery currently surrounds the continent of Geardagas and the city of Aefenglom, new arrivals might notice something especially odd when stepping out of the Looking-Glass House: there are two moons that orbit the world that they've found themselves in. One looks reminiscent of the Earth satellite that might be familiar to many of them, larger, covered in craters. The other is smaller, more smooth, and trails along at a slower orbit than the larger one. These are the Sisters, and they result in the night sky being a little brighter than normal, rendering the stars effectively useless if one were to try and chart them. They're also the cause of numerous eclipses, far more than you might anticipate seeing in your lifetime, because the younger sister does frequently catch up with the elder, and they both find themselves crossing paths with the sun more than once in the year.              ▪ Inner City The majority of the population lives within the walls in what is typically referred to as the Inner City. The upperclass live closer to the center of the city and against the walls of the Coven, in the northwestern section of the city, and the lowerclass live along the walls. The closer one gets to the bay, the more industrialized the city is - and the more likely you are to find the mid to lowerclass. ▪ The Bright Wall Solid, illuminated, and opalescent, the Bright Wall is all that stands between the citizens of Aefenglom and the Cwyld. It stands 30 feet tall, 50 feet around the Coven, and besides the bay it has five permissible entrances, four of which are guarded with monumental doors. If you find an unsanctioned entrance, cracks in the wall or bars broken in drains, it is your duty as a citizen to report it to an official. ▪ Bright Bay Renamed for its connection to the Inner City, the bay is home to the majority of Aefenglom's commerce. The import and export of goods is the lifeblood of the city, and travel is easiest to accomplish via the bay or the river. The Bright Wall extends to the docks themselves, and dip down into the water to ensure that any aquatic Shade can't bring their infection into the city - not without a fight, anyways. ▪ River Temese The Temese ( tameze ) is the secondary means of travel and commerce for civilians of Aefenglom, although much less secure as there are no boundaries or guards posted along the riverbank until it reaches the Wall. The water is cleansed as it passes through the gate stationed at the river, and it's perhaps the most heavily guarded and investigated entrance to the entire city, despite its lack of a door. ▪ Outer City Considered a lost cause to much of the upperclass, the Outer City is referred to as the Cwyldtid occasionally in hushed whispers, but is largely called the Slums. Effectively the forgotten of Aefenglom, they're the most prone to attacks from the Cwyld as well as the Shades that can carry it, and is home to many infected that are too far gone in the infection - but still within their right minds - that have decided they don't want treatment. The closer you are to the Bright Wall, the more intact structures are, and the more intact the minds of the infected. Further out, the buildings are more along the lines of shanties and ruins. ✱ The Coven - see; COVEN, LOCATIONS ✱ Parliament - see; LOCATIONS Aefenglom has an incredibly diverse population, in both personality and looks; in fact, compared to the outposts and smaller towns that stand outside of the Wilde in the same way as the city, it's practically a melting pot. Monsters and humans mingle freely, though there's some level of wariness in their interactions - but that tends to be par for the course in Aefenglom in general, with the threat of Shades hanging over their head. Though they have faith in the Wall around the Inner City, and in the Coven and its Witches, a heavy awareness still permeates the air. That isn't to say the residents of Aefenglom are a completely serious people; they're still able to celebrate, and almost every month has some sort of party or festival attributed to it. In traditions passed down from early years, and in ones newly springing up, the city spends a lot of time making sure there's at least something to look forward to, to remind themselves to live in the moment and to look ahead to the future - and to take a well-deserved rest from everything going on in their lives. The most important of these reside on the edges of each season:
Octeuril 31st through Noveuer 2nd. Traditionally celebrated as the formal New Year, Samuin signifies the beginning of the lunar half of the year; it's darker and colder, and the sister moons in the sky seem to shine ever brighter in the months that follow. The draw of magic is stronger during this time, especially in the latest hours of the night. ▪ Faoilleach Feoveuer 1st through Feoveuer 3rd. Spanning over two days, just like Samuin, Faoilleach is a time of spring-cleaning and purification in order to prepare oneself for the coming summer celebration of Boaltinn. On the second day of Faoilleach, eateries around the city begin to offer thin pancakes topped with cream and seasonal fruits for those participating in speed-dating and blind dates. ▪ Boaltinn Maiuril 1st through Maiuril 3rd. Boaltinn signifies the beginning of the solar half of the year, with its warmer weather and longer days. The sun shines brightest, and the temptation to delve into the deeper parts of magic begins to fade with the waning of the sister moons' hold; on the other hand, the desire to push the limits of what one does know grows greater, especially at the highest point of the day. ▪ Lùnasa Aguril 1st through Aguril 3rd. Lunasa is a late summer celebration of traditional marriage, handfasting, and the forming of Bonds - not to mention the renewal of all three by those already happily in such relationships. Mending hurt relationships, as well as simply becoming closer in general, is also a theme of this festival. There's also the matter of a small class divide; the Inner City is full of the aristocratic - who tend to live in their district - and upper-middle class, while the lower-middle and poorer classes live closer and closer to the Wall, until they spill out past it and into the Outer City. Crime tends to be heavier in those areas, primarily featuring groups of pickpockets and street urchins, while murder and underground fighting rings populate the underbelly of the Inner City... particularly the Aristocratic District. The Coven tends to be more crime-free, minus the black market of illegal spell ingredients located deep within the old catacombs. Technologically speaking, Aefenglom has the most advancements in all of Geardagas. This is largely because of the vast industrial sector within the Harbor, and the influence of the Coven changing much of the tech to magitech. Many Monsters do find employ in the business and industry, certainly, but Witches have innovated power sources that mimic steam, electric, and gas to help take some of the strain off of resources. All of the lights in Aefenglom are magitech for this reason, and multiple businesses have popped up with lower or beginner Witches to allow for people to bring their appliances and miscellaneous housewares to their shops for repairs. Things are built to last here - nothing goes to waste, and everything can be salvaged. Vehicles outside of boats aren't a very large focus of transportation development in Aefenglom, due to their limited use. While there's a locomotive, it's small, magitech-run, and unavailable for public use. Meanwhile, the streets aren't always even enough to warrant a tire for an automobile, and they can be only used in the city, as the streets outside of the Bright Wall are terrible even for carriages. So it's horse-drawn carriages and person-pulled carts, with bicycles for occasional use. There's no commercial automobiles available, unless you've got the money for it in the rich sector. Although some vehicles can be found in the industrial sector and the docks to allow for the transport of goods and equipment, there's such a wide variety of boats powered by steam, by magitech, by man and Monster, that you would be hard pressed to not find some means that can assist you in what you need. The most important form of technology, however...  Not everyone can afford a watch, although new arrivals are given one during their induction to the city. As such, it's not something many people native to Aefenglom understand how to operate, and is unseen in the rest of Geardagas. Privacy regardless is limited, and while users can have private one-on-one conversations, or create group messages, they aren't unhackable. This also extends to the device itself - while they're assigned to one individual, a watch can be unlocked by anyone. Best not to lose yours, lest you find your identity and information stolen. Functions are simple outside of the network. There are no games, but drafts and notes can be saved to your personal device. On the back of the device, inlaid in the curve, is a small camera of a fairly decent quality, which allows for sepia-toned videos and photos to be taken and saved on and off the network. Where the microphone or speaker for audio are is hard to tell, but these allow for "phone calls" and recording audio to save to the comm or network as well. There is a voice-to-text (and vice versa) option for those who may need it, but its reliability is questionable at best. Customization is minimal. The backing can be removed and replaced with different materials, ranging from wood to stone to metal depending on the aesthetic or needs of an individual. Chains can be added to help the user carry their watch, and carry pouches are also fairly common. "Wallpapers" can be used on the "home screen," as it were, but there is no "lock screen." The screen defaults to an analog clock when other functions aren't being used, part of why the nickname of a watch became so prevalent, and is the same face as the clock seen at Parliament. |
