The Citadels

There are two alternatives, however. One is to travel through the Borderlands, that which lies between the land of the Living, and the land of the Dead. Geography in the Borderlands corresponds, in a rough sense, to geography in the Known World, but there is a warping of time and space which occurs in the Borderlands, which usually drastically shortens the time it takes to go from Point A to Point B. Unfortunately, the Borderlands are inhabited by some extremely dangerous creatures, not all of which are solid flesh and blood; it is not unusual for a traveller to be killed by something he never saw or heard. Furthermore, due to the warping of reality that occurs in the Borderlands, it is known that strange magical "accidents" sometimes befall the unwary. Still, the Borderlands are heavily travelled, and the shorter routes provided by the Border Paths make reasonably speedy trade in the Known World possible.

The other alternative is the Portals. Built by a generation of wizards long since dead, they link the eight Citadels, through eight secret places within each, in the form of a spoked wheel. Travel via the Portals is virtually instantaneous. The secret of the Portals is jealously guarded by the wearers of the Circlets, but it is known that payment in magic is required to travel through them, and that the most wealthy and powerful have access.

The Citadels are as follows, in the order of their establishment:

Vos

The oldest of the Citadels, Vos is the center of learning in the Known World, its ruling family strong and secure in its power. The city is governed, on a day to day basis, by the Council of Sages, a group of learned men, many of them mages, chosen for their competence and loyalty. Vos is a city much-enamored of magic, and magic permeates every aspect of everyday Vos existence; the city employs a veritable battallion of wizards for everything from basic defense to weather control. Culture and learning are greatly prized in Vos, but the arts of war are not neglected, either; Vos has a vast array of secret magical defenses, and it has successfully repelled many an invading army in the past.

Carvalon

Historically engaged in a friendly rivalry with Vos, Carvalon is the second-oldest Citadel, home to the Knights of the Dragon. The dragon is the central aspect of all life in Carvalon. Knights mounted on dragonback defend Carvalon's demesnes. People keep small dragons as household pets. The dragons are not nearly as intelligent as the humans, but the Carvalon culture has raised their status to a cult level. The ritual slaughter of dragons to provide dragonscale hide, dragontooth daggers, dragoneye magical orbs, and many other useful items is one of the annual festivals in Carvalon. The city is much obsessed with its own defense, and they are a grim, practical people; they are obsessed with efficiency, strongly valuing function over artistry. Unlike most of the other Citadels, the Circlet is not entirely hereditary; it goes to the Grand Master of the Knighthood, who must have bloodline qualifications, though he is normally chosen for his skill and accomplishments.

Silek

Silek is one of the most feared of the Citadels. It has, for centuries, been under the control of a powerful group of necromancers (there is, in fact, some question as to whether its ruling family is dead or alive). The undead perform most of the menial labor of the city, under the watchful eye of the Zombie Masters. As a result, Silek is quite prosperous, though always hungry for more magical resources. It is often at war with one of the other Citadels, and the undead armies of Silek are the terror of the Known World. These armies ravage without a care for the living, destroying with a mindless purposefulness that obliterates everything in their path, save for the magical resources their controllers crave. The wizards of Silek are the acknowledged masters of the arts of death and destruction, as well as the creation of magical artifacts.

Cordosa

The greatest trading city in the Known World, where, it is said, anything can be bought or sold, including one's very soul. Nominally controlled by its ruling family, its true power lies in the hands of the city's merchant-princes (heads of household of the most powerful and richest families), the ruling family itself tending towards more a scholarly bent. Located upon the eastern coast of the main continent, at the mouth of the mighty Cordosa River, it is perfectly situated as a central trading city. Money is clearly the most important thing in Cordosan culture; social status is defined by one's wealth. Politics are Machiavellian, and assassination is a way of life. Cordosa maintains a respectable military, and does not hesitate to defend its interests.

Zakharim

Once one of the Known World's greatest Citadels, an unexpected change in weather a century ago drastically changed the crop yields of the demesne, resulting famine, pestilence, and all manner of general unpleasantness accompanying the collapse of the demesne's economy. A city of splendid rchitecture, artistry, and grace has been transformed into a spot of hell on earth, particularly since other Citadels, notably Silek, have taken advantage of Zakharim's weakness to make war upon it repeatedly. Still, it is said that there are residual places of power, artifacts of great value, in Zakharim, from its glory days. The ruling family is largely impotent, but it is said that they still possess some ancient spells and powers that might one day permit them to have their revenge upon the other Citadels. The wizards here were summoners of djinn and other magical creatures; the flavor of this city is a little like the Arabian Nights if H.P. Lovecraft had written it.

Freehold

Established originally as a rival trading city to Cordosa, a place where those who did not wish to be subject to the power of a single ruling family could flee to live in relatively democratic freedom, Freehold has grown and prospered throughout the centuries. A number of important trade routes pass through Freehold, and it is known for the quality of goods manufactured within its demesnes. Freehold is caught in the grip of its constantly-feuding Guilds of tradesmen and craftsmen, and no one man ever holds its Circlet for long.

North Keep

In the icy wastelands of the north is a Citadel controlled by a fanatical priesthood devoted to regaining the favor of the Ancient Gods (most notably Ka, father of the gods), through ascetical puritanism. The followers of Ka can be found throughout the Known World, preaching their religion, and performing good deeds (at least, the Ka priests regard them as good, though sometimes the individual "beneficiaries" might disagree). The followers of Ka do not use traditional magic, but they do have their own powers, which are not well-understood beyond their select circle. They also have a fearsome, elite military, though their forces are relatively small.

Miros

Miros is built within the last Great Forest in the Known World. It is markedly different from all the other Citadels, in that the land that it is built on is still relatively virgin, largely untouched by the apocalypse of the previous millenium. As such, Miros does not have the supply problems common to the other Citadels, but unfortunately, there are a number of other races with a claim to that territory, including the Faerie. Magic works unpredictably in Miros, due to the strong Faerie taint of the place. The civilization in Miros is exotic, and due to the nature of Faerie places, many of those who live here might be considered madmen by those from other parts of the Known World. Power is strongly in the hands of the magically-gifted family that holds the Circlet of Miros.