Developed by Alistair
Please Note: This article does not reflect the current, exact state of Acadia. This is more meant as a blue-print, though the township itself may be more, or less, developed than what is featured in this article - to the discretion of Ne'haer's mods, and the PC and NPC plots ongoing within the realm.
Acadia, also known as Radomir, the Common Realm and the Northern Refuge, is a land locked between three great mountains that overlook and protect the great valleys that lay within. It was founded, developed and built by Alistair var Radomir, a fallen Lord of Rynmere with the dream of creating a city - and eventually a Kingdom - free of the same ancient vices befallen upon other lands. A city for all freed people - refugees, slaves, mages, the oppressed and marginalized, and those denied knowledge and success by their family or peers.
The appearance of Acadia is that of a long strip of urban area, mostly built on the surface of a small hill leading onto Mount Reyard, with a strip of ascended land built from the slope of the hill, and raised by a massive structural foundation of pillars and other stone. In truth, Acadia's dominion extends beyond this alone... to the bottom of each hill, their surroundings, all the fields and valleys and crops of farmland within the great divide between Hyran and Lysoria. A Northern Realm like Lysoria and Ironridge, Acadia holds lands untouched by the claims and machinations of Ne'haer, and due to its geography it is naturally isolated and defensible - acting as a perfect refuge for those who wish to be free.
Founding and Growth
Acadia's initial founding and development came as a result of the conflict between the major territories surrounding Ne'haer. As a result of the loss of governmental power over the citizenry, and the wars and famine consuming the realm, a great deal of refugees and escaped slaves began to corner the undeveloped borders of their respective territories. Investing in industry and infrastructure, and inviting the forlorn migrants, refugees and fallen citizenry of other places, Acadia has begun to build itself as a place for those without much to call their own - a settlement, yet near and native to the region.
Furthermore, Acadia acts as an open invitation to mages and slaves particularly, offering slaves freedom and mages homes, subsidized by the crown and built by laborers and fellow denizens. As such, the realm has been able to grow significantly in a short period of time, due to the currently global crisis of magic, slavery and internal conflicts.
Government
Acadia is an Absolute Monarchy, similar to that of the surrounding territories of Ironridge, Hyran, Lysoria, Yurrova and Millstone. It is led by a Lord, who reigns from Castle Radomir (pictured above), a castle yet unfinished. The current ruling and founding ruling family of the township of Acadia consists only of Alistair var Radomir, with the reigning dynasty that of the "House of Radomir", whose symbol is the Sundial, a Rupturer's guide. Aside from the very top of Acadia's leadership, it is to be led secondarily by an administrative council, consisting of a Martial, Chancellor, Treasurer, Admiral (as the realm develops near the coast and extending rivers), and Spymaster.
Furthermore, the Ordinators of the Commonwealth for Free Mages act unofficially as a form of leadership, as they are capable of taking matters into their own hands and doling out justice without proper notification or royal writ, within the city. The Ordinators are, essentially, the rulers of Acadia's law - especially among mages, but even among uninitiated citizenry.
Infrastructure
Acadia's center, the strip between Mount Reyard and Mount Damien, is mostly industrial and focused on business, trade, and other skills such as textiles, dyes, ceramics, production, smithing, alchemy, and other urban trades that produce great amounts of wealth. The city does carry an aqueduct leading out from its extended stone foundations, with a sewage system fairly complex and expansive due to its contemporary growth. On the fringes of the valley, away from the center of Acadia and Castle Radomir, are military fortifications and encampments. And, within the fringes, Acadia's infrastructure mostly hosts farmers, lumberers, hunters and miners. As Acadia is situated in a valley with several large-sized mountains, much of its external infrastructure is mining-focused.
Military
The military of Acadia is divided into two split sections, that often intertwine, forming versatile divisions of integrated soldiers - mage and non-mage. Though the military currently looks much more like a retinue, small in size, the tradition of military carried on by the founders of Acadia and the mages that inhabit the realm . . . shows well in its forces, low in number as they are. Acadia's forces are split between the Aspirants of the Pyre, an Arm of the Commonwealth for Free Mages, and the Blackguard Syndicate, a military force of mostly non-mages that seek to promote the common wellbeing of the citizenry, as well as humanist interests.
The Blackguard Syndicate, larger in number than the Aspirants, are the traditional infantry of Acadia. They are the vanguard, and are trained in shell-like formations built for elongated, defensive structures. Phalanx is among their most common formation, whilst the Aspirants act as the cavalry of the military force, flanking opponents and raining ether from above as they attempt to penetrate the ineffable wall of the Blackguard.
Aspirants, as the offensive force of Acadia, are trained night and day to achieve what can only be called perfection. There are several requirements for each aspirant, in order to ensure they function properly within the army. They must be trained in Discipline, to ensure they do not use magic recklessly. They must learn how to ride a Mount, typically a horse, Bruxen or Drexion. They must learn a medium-ranged or short-ranged physical weapon, like that of a pike, spear, lance, zweihander, longsword, saber or rapier. And finally, they must be of considerable capability in at least one magic.
There may only be one Aberrant in all of Acadia, and that Aberrant must be a member of the Aspirant. They act as a lone rear flank, who sets up Conjunctions in the backline of enemy forces, or mutilates opponents with Spheres from afar. The one, singular Aberrant is truly invaluable to the Aspirants, capable of culling large numbers of opponents in a short period of time, and easily breaking enemy formations.
The Ordinators are the leaders of the Aspirants, de jure, whilst Alistair is the de facto leader of both - but primarily the Blackguard Syndicate. This is intended to change upon the addition of a Martial into Acadia's leadership.
As one might recognize from viewing the forces of Acadia in action... they are trained, specifically, to be able to defeat mage hunters - even large forces of them. As the mages are all mounted and therefore have excellent mobility, as well as considerable martial skills of their own, they are very difficult to defeat merely by locking them from their domains.
Economy
As of right now, Acadia's economy is focused primarily on the products of miners, with ore and gems their primary export. This industry has been heavily invested into by Alistair, and acted as the initial footprint of the realm, with miners from Ne'haer and Yurrova coming in for work and proper compensation. With mages beginning to flow into the city, temporal products of Transmutation and the useful trades of Apothecaries and Alchemists do great for the city's trade. Founded by a doctor himself, Acadia has many poisoners, gardeners and producers of medicinal herbs, poultices and reagents. Alongside the obvious connection to Alchemists, these productions bring in wealthy merchants with long-standing illnesses, and therefore foreign wealth.
In terms of imports, much of what Acadia needs is food. It does not have long-standing agricultural communities, or developed farming infrastructure. Thus, a great deal of food is imported into Acadia from Hyran . . . particularly the northern portion of it, with the leadership of the realm slowly seeking to economically integrate much of Hyran's north into the realm as a whole.
Nobility
The only current noble family within Acadia is the House of Radomir, the ruling family. The laws protecting nobility are fairly typical as per other realms, and nearly mimic that of Rynmere's nobility, though unlike in Rynmere the middle-ground between Lord and commoner is not wealthy merchant families... but Lesser Nobles. Lesser Nobles are houses built by exceptional Cloudseekers, Soldiers, Innovators and Councilors, whilst Greater Nobles are the descendants and households of Acadia's Ordinators.
Unlike in most other feudal realms, Acadia's nobility is not entirely mandated by blood, though blood heirs are the standard. A noble may remain unmarried and may legitimize their firstborn bastard as their heir, or may even adopt their heir. Marriage is less important as an aspect of nobility, particularly considering the small stature of the realm, and its unwillingness to incorporate intricate inter-marital alliances between noble houses, which will ultimately lead to corruption, competition and upheaval.
Law
The laws of Acadia are fairly typical among feudal realms, but with a few notable exceptions, inscribed into the very foundation of the Kingdom. These laws are - without fail - unequivocal, and act as the only true set of laws not steeped in transience. They are built into the foundation of the city, inscribed into the pillars of Castle Radomir, almost as commandments. These commandments are, of course, a reflection of Alistair's meritocratic, liberal mindset.
1. All men are always their own. No one shall ever be a slave, nor indentured servant.
2. Magic exists as a part of Idalos, and must never weigh against one, unless purposed for evil. To spread bigotry and anti-mage sentiment is to break Acadia's common law.
As an extension to this law: there may only ever be one Aberrant within Acadia at any given time, and they will be watched by the Ordinators. The magic can be utilized only for utilitarian purposes, directed at the enemies of the Realm. If any Aberrants seek refuge within Acadia beyond the first one, they will be executed without condition. Anyone initiated into Aberration by the singular Aberrant will also be executed, as will the Aberrant who initiated them.
3. All races, and all people, have equal access to the realm as citizens.
4. All people may have access to knowledge.
5. All people may follow any faith, as long as it is not weaponized or utilized as a political instrument. Theocracy is disallowed.
Aside from these five tenets, Acadia follows the same feudal laws as any other realm. Though serfdom is not quite so commonplace, and though the inequalities between nobility and commoner lay far more measurable, there is still - always - a disconnect between classes. As Acadia does not have a long and established history of nobility, the true disparity lies in the Cloudseekers - the business owning arbiters of law - and the common man.
