The Modern World
From Reydala
The course of time has greatly changed the landscape of Reydala. The once vast oceans have receded into a collection of pools, rivers have dried up, forests have withered and dried away, and mountains have become fields of dust. Bereft of it's previous protection, temperatures on Reydala can reach from a blistering 350 degrees near the equator to 130 below near the poles. Very few life forms can survive outside of the protective cities built by man, and even they struggle to maintain their ways of life in an uncooperative world. Each of the surviving three countries has very few cities still extant and a multitude of ruins. If the natural decay of the world were not enough, the new weapons of man continue to leave scars upon the planet's surface, the remaining battlefields a testament to the neverending struggle of man.
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Ohnben
Deloria (Captial)
Deloria weathered the Celestial Exodus exceedingly better than most other cities on the planet, mostly due to the nomadic lifestyle of the Ohnben. Technology never built up to a point that the entire city depended upon it simply because nobody would be there to take advantage of it all of the time. The communal ownership laws of the Ohnben also gave little incentive for Technomancers to work their trade. After the Exodus had passed, the city of Deloria remained largely intact, though some of the larger clans (mostly those who had in-house technomancers) found themselves stranded in the desert or worse after their high tech crafts became as worthless as scrap metal. The confusion prompted a need for information, and this prompted people to gather. Ironically, the exodus caused the population of Deloria to sharply increase while people began to question what had happend.
Decades went by in the desert, and even the nomads begin to swelter under the gradually increasing desert heat. Oases that had sparkled for millenniums were suddenly drying up, life that had once thrived in the desert began to wither and die. Nomads soon found themselves with no herds, water, or plants to sustain themselves on. Deloria for some time was sustained by it's relative proximity to the muline river, but after the first century after the fall, even that began to recede.
Something had to be done if the Ohnben people were to survive, supplies of food and water were quickly running out as the land died. Births were few, and deaths were many. For great stretches of time, one could not expect to live far past 30 years. Not only were Starvation and Dehydration rampant causes of death, the direct solar radiation that shone upon Deloria year in and year out took a harsh toll on the bodies of the nomads: cancers of the skin were extremely common and often deadly.
Deloria finally found some respite when a researcher found a way to reactivate Deloria's oldest relic, a crystal that was once given to the city by high mage Varaan over 5 millenniums ago. The complicated machine (onlookers would describe it as a mass of tubes, though it's primary element were electronic fields) required extreme amounts of energy to retain it's function. Deloria constructed hundreds of wind turbines on the slopes of the Navorals, though with centuries passing the winds became for too unpredictable for them to be useful. Ohnben instead turned to trying to harness it's greatest enemy, and to this day, the country is the leader in solar power research and utilization. A full 95% of the machines, ships, cities, and dragoons in Deloria today function purely through solar power.
Modern Deloria is a far cry from it's nomadic roots. Since the outside world became too harsh to wander, people have flocked to the comparative safety offered by cities. Ironically Ohnben finds itself in the same condition that plagued it's fellows prior to the celestial exodus: too many people in one place, all reliant upon technology to survive. Since the dome was first constructed approximately 400 years after the Exodus, the people of Deloria have continued to refine it and make life even more bearable to those who live underneath. Populations have slowly started to creep upward, but since the dome is very difficult to expand outward, living spaces have primarily expanded upward. Skyscrapers dominate the Deloria skyline, with real-estate in the central regions (the tallest sections of the dome) often more expensive than the buildings built upon it. The affluent tend to live near the center of the city, and the destitute try to scrape out a living near the borders of the dome.
Deloria retains the highest population of any Ohnben city. It's technology is often the most reliable to be found anywhere in the nation, though most new environmental technology is now imported from the research domes dotting the Highsand. It still remains the central hub of military action and military research, being the dock of the OB-M3 and seat of the Matron.
Has'tun
Located in the center of the Great Battlefield, New Has'tun was built with technology exported from Deloria a great distance west from the original city that bore the name. It serves as a massive military port and supply depot for forces manning the Riscanan front. Few civilians live here, those that do are often retired soldiers or relatives of those in service. Has'tun is not domed, instead it is a massive enclosed structure using similar technology to Ohnben warships to hold the environment at bay.
De'sota
The primary settlement of the Waka'rio Plateau, built a great distance to the south of the original city to bear it's name. Its primary purpose is surveillance of the Kaltian front to the east, though there are few defenses stationed there due to the natural boundaries between the two nations. Since the Waka'rio plateau is significantly less harsh than the northern desert, it has become a popular migration point and is the home to many civilians. Also due to favorable conditions, it has been a center for new agricultural research (although admittedly it is more of a testing ground, most of the technologies themselves being developed within Deloria).
Vrata
A large research facility in the High-sand. Many civilians also reside here due to a political initiative on part of the Ohnben government providing large sums of credits in exchange for moving to Vrata. Vrata is where most environmental research takes place in Ohnben, it has a vast array of segregated domes, all using different prototype technologies to fend off the environment. In a sense, the civilians living here are willing test subjects for the government. Vrata strives to be as self-sufficient as possible, and all the food and water for the populace are produced on-site. Vehicles heading to and from Vrata need special shielding beyond the norm to survive the harsh conditions enroute, and thus most traffic is limited to a few specially created Vrata supply ships.
Navo
A smuggler's den dug deep beneath the Navoral Mountains. Somewhat infamous for having any item one could possibly want to buy, yet being very difficult to find. Unknown to the vast majority of the populace, though a few talk of it as a legend, passed from mouth to ear in seedy drinking pits in Deloria. Now run by an elderly gentlemen named Ghan, but often called simply "Old Man". The moniker may be quite correct, as Ghan claims to be over 150 years old, though few actually believe this. There is no police force or laws in Navo, the only rules being what the inhabitants make for themselves. Thus, it is not recommended to visit unless one is well-armed and well-trained.
The Sandsea
The term most often used to refer to the eastern section of the desert that makes up the majority of Ohnben, though the term is sometimes used to refer to the entire desert as a whole. The Sandsea contains some of the most patrolled sands in Ohnben, being very close to the Ohnben-Kaltia ridge as well as being home to the Capital, Deloria. The sands themselves are a very fine off-white grain, quite easy for ship hulls to push through, though very difficult for normal humans to find footing in. Even machines as big as dragoons have been known to have trouble in certain sections. Reports of sudden sinkholes swallowing up people and warships alike are not unheard of, though most modern vessels are equipped with sophisticated sonar systems to detect potential hazards.
The Great Battlefield
The term usually referring to the western section of the desert that makes up the majority of Ohnben. It's name comes from it being the primary battlefield between Riscanan and Ohnben forces. The sands are more yellowed and a bit larger grained than the eastern Sandsea. They are also far thinner, winds sometimes revealing vast expanses of bare rock. Because of these factors, wheeled and tracked vehicles are far more popular in the Great Battlefield and sandships need to navigate extremely carefully to avoid running aground. It is also more prone to heavy sandstorms and dust devils than any other section of the Sandsea.
The Highsand
Sometimes called "The Devil's Perch", the Highsand is the highest altitude spanse of sand in the great battlefield, and rests almost squarely on the equator of the planet. Temperatures here are the most extreme in all of Ohnben, perhaps on all of the planet. Even machines that can weather the rest of the Sandsea will have difficulty here as the brutal heat in the afternoons and menacing colds of the nights can cause even the most well-built of machines to tear themselves apart. The only vehicles functioning in the region are those specially built for that purpose at Vrata, and most of those are still prototypes, prone to occasional (deadly) failure. It is thus very loosely patrolled despite it's close proximity to the border (Though no Riscanan craft have ever made it to Vrata in working condition, anyway).
The Sands of Fading Memory
A string of sand in the northern section of the great battlefield prone to rapid sand currents. The biggest focal point is a gigantic slope of sand that falls steeply into the Leyvale, becoming almost a waterfall of sand at certain times of the year. Ambitious Riscanan detachments have been known to attempt to sneak by Ohnben patrols by taking advantage of the dangerous terrain here. However, Riscanan ships are less proficient at navigating the sands than Ohnben vessels, resulting in great delays at best and destroyed fleets on more than one occasion. Ohnben usually does not risk craft patrolling the area on a regular basis, but has been known to set up listening stations around the sands to scan for Riscanan vehicles.
The Navoral Mountains
A string of high, rocky mountains lying north of Deloria. Though conditions here are less harsh than on the desert floor, construction is difficult due to the irregularity of the mountain. Though Riscana has sent Dragoon regiments over the mountains to strike deloria in the past, this is not seen as a significant threat as such regiments will have no warship support behind them. The presence of the OB-M3 in Deloria for the most part deters all but the most determined of would be mountain assaulters. A few listening posts dot the ridge of the mountains, but there are little other man made buildings. A few ruins exist, but because salvage ships cannot drive into the mountains, most are left largely untouched.
Waka'rio Plateau
A new stretch of land revealed by the receding oceans, The Waka'rio plateau is a vast expanse that lies well below the altitude of Deloria. Temperatures and conditions are far more mild in this huge valley compared to the deserts to the north. The area even receives an occasional cloud and on very rare occasions natural precipitation. Still, there is far too little to support any plant or animal life outside of human intervention. One of the few areas left on the planet where a human can wander unprotected and die of starvation or dehydration before heatstroke or frostbite.
Kaltia
Kaltia faced several problems with the coming of the exodus, many of the once noble and proud districts were either destroyed entirely in the flames following the disaster, or were gradually swallowed one by one by the advancing polar regions to the north. Reistelm, one of the most advanced cities in the world at the time of the fall, was nearly entirely destroyed and soon swallowed by the snow and the ice. Old Reistelm is now far above the polar line, buried under a glacier, the once proud buildings now ruins barely visible under many feet of ice.
The great crises following the exodus caused Kaltian government to dramatically change, the only mighty districts were abolished, there was no longer any room for in-fighting when survival became the primary concern. The few surviving members of the council were at a loss how to proceed from there, the explanation from the surviving Lucionites almost too hard to swallow. In the end, one particularly ambitious council-member, a representative from Higan, coerced the council into naming him the new emperor. His first move was to abolish the council entirely, and Kaltia become a "Benevolent" dictatorship in the name of survival. A new capital was built on the eastern coast of Notrasgard, to keep it away from the advancing polar caps.
Kaltia was no stranger to mechanics at the time of the fall, many of the peasants utilized non-magical machines in their daily lives. This legacy became Kaltia's last hope, and for some time they lived off the riches of the Kaltian continent as normal. Eventually however, the environment started to deteriorate , fields of crops were slowly swallowed by advancing glaciers from the north, and a rapidly spreading desert in mid-Kaltia. It soon became apparent that even their remaining machines could do nothing with so hostile an environment, all available resources were thrown into environmental technology. Kaltian cities began to burrow deep into the ground to avoid bitter arctic winds and desert storms. Sophisticated airlocks were invented to keep the underground systems wholly seperate from the harsh world outside. As the environment grew worse, the buildings above ground were abandoned and left to decay.
Today, most Kaltian cities are vast underground complexes, most civilians go their whole lives without seeing the sky. Advanced agricultural and biological manipulation slowly grew animals and plants that would survive without sunlight. They continue to expand deeper and deeper within the warm insulation of the earth, but many Kaltian scientists have noted that even the molten core of the planet is beginning to cool. Kaltia is trapped in a losing game, and their desperation is slowly growing.
The outer surface of the Kaltian continent now is a barren, rocky wasteland. Kaltian small vehicles usually employ wheels for locomotion, larger vehicles usually employing treads. Dragoons are common in the rocky wastes, often focusing on speed and sudden strikes. All Kaltian vehicles run on a lab-developed mineral fuel that is harvested in all the known cities, the details of its manufacture a closely guarded secret of the Kaltian military. The mineral is crystalline in it's natural form, most often crushed into a fine powder for use in machinery. The extreme combustive properties of the mineral make it perfect for Kaltia's focus on sudden immense bursts of energy.
New Reistelm (Capital)
New Reistelm began as an above ground city, but it was abandoned when the environment became too harsh to maintain it. Now it is the largest underground city-complex on the planet. It is also one of the best defended, automated gun emplacements infesting the surface above the city, and all of the outer airlocks are tried and tested to withstand even capital ship weaponry. A complex system of airlocks and bulkheads make invasion practically impossible, as if one managed to get past one door, three more would seal. Kaltian operatives have been known to lure enemy units onto the first floor of the complex, seal the door behind them, and cut off air-flow to the invaded corridors. Sieges on New Reistelm are few and far between, and none have succeeded since the airlocks were put into place.
Most of the upper levels of the complex are restricted to military use only, most civilians living on the expansive lower floors. The seat of the emperor in another segregated layer near the bottom of the complex, along with the intricate controls that handle all security functions of the complex. Very few actual soldiers are stationed at New Reistelm, the automated defenses more than capable of thwarting any possible threat.
Soukult
A largely civilian facility upon the Deshault Peninsula, approximately one hundred and forty miles south of the former Solgorn District. Soukult is lightly defended by the Kaltian military, though few would want to take advantage of this. The underground city is a slum in every sense of the word, a gathering place for the wretches of Kaltian society deemed worthless by the Kaltian government. If one does not have the capacity to become either a soldier or researcher, more often than not, they end up in Soukult. Beneath the protective airlocks gangs battle with each other for territory everyday. Crime, death, and drugs run rampant and there is little, if any, attempt to police the city. Food and water supplies are always low and seldom fulfilling. Many battles break out between civilians over control of food sources, often wresting them away from those who could properly maintain them, worsening the situation. Many Kaltian criminals are exiled here, the city is treated little better than a prison.
Many normal civilians trapped here by birth or by circumstance dream of escaping Soukult, but rarely do such oppurtunities come. The government prefers to give a blind-eye to Soukult, and even many that would have become great soldiers or scientists are commonly ignored with no way to prove their ability to their masters. Most often their talents go undeveloped due to a lack of schooling, if they even survive to adulthood. Occasionally a natural genius rises and unites many of the gangs together under a banner of rebellion or unity. Most often these rebellions fall apart due to animosity between gangs, those that prove stronger often result in the ringleader being harvested by the government and thus, inevitable collapse. Ringleaders who refuse to leave Soukult to serve the empire are simply assassinated.
The only reason Soukult remains under Kaltian rule is that the emperor holds the controls over their airlocks from New Reistelm. With a touch of a button, he could draw all the air from the entire city, killing the whole population. This fact is often used to coerce ringleaders into service of the empire, and in less extreme forms has been used for population purges when a gang becomes too powerful. Many civilians have long given up hope of ever seeing the outside, or have even come to fear it as synonymous with death.
Ustegra
Southern Military fortress located near the polar ring on the Deshault Peninsula. Largely Responsible for patrolling the Craters and the Deep for Riscanan or Ohnben attack. Home to perhaps the largest formations of mechanized Kaltian forces, and as such, has the most extensive fuel mines. The vast majority of the forces here spend most of their time in defense of the craters, the primary Riscanan attack line. Given it's position and purpose, Ustegra faces attacks frequently, though often the mobilized forces eliminate threats before they come in sight of the city. Like New Reistelm, the exterior surface is covered in remotely controlled gun platforms, and a similar airlock system further deters invasion.
Aside from military defense, Ustegra primarily exists as a research center for military fuel, and is constantly pushing the limits of fuel efficiency. Some of the most advanced engines on the planet are created and put into use at Ustegra. Military production facilities surpass even those of New Reistelm, advanced assembly lines capable of constructing new dragoons within 24 hours, and mobilized assault platforms in less than a week. Naturally due to the sensitive nature of these processes, Ustegra has an extremely low civilian population, usually only the immediate family of researches is permitted to reside there, and they are kept strictly segregated from any military information.
Nalheim
City built beneath the shallow sands of the Duneflow, largely responsible for the patrol and defense of the Ohnben-Kaltian ridge. Most rookie soldiers make their reputations here or die trying, those that succeed are often relocated to Ustegra. While there are many lines for dragoon repairs and resupplies, there are little means of actual mechanical production. Nalheim was built to be wholly expendable, even the vast resources of mineral fuel required are shipped through an underground tunnel from New Reistelm (That is able to be destroyed at a moment's notice). The population mostly consists of young soldiers and a few grizzled veterans taking the role of instructors. Ohnben has successfully taken control of Nalheim in the past, but since little is kept there of strategic importance and counterattack from Ustegra was inevitable, defense of the installation soon became low priority. In essence, Nalheim is purposely little more than a military college and a refit depot.
The Craters (West)
The south plain located between the still ocean and the southern arctic circle, in particular the side closest to Kaltia. This land is the main battlegrounds between Kaltia and Riscana, and the earth here is scarred with innumerable craters from centuries of warfare. During the winter seasons it is all but impassable due to glacial flows from the south. The ground is littered with many machines of past conflicts, often mere husks of what they once were.
Control over the craters often changes hands between Kaltia and Riscana, the "owner" often decided in the initial push that inevitably follows every glacial melt. There are few resources in the dusty ground around the craters, but it retains great strategic importance.
The Deshault Peninsula
Once deep below the oceans, with the receding of the waters the Deshault Peninsula formed south of Kaltia. A dusty, wind swept plain that stretches all the way toward the southern pole of Reydala. The Deshault Peninsula is engulfed in fierce cold for most months of the year, but even it's coldest is more tolerable than the temperatures within the Duneflow and near New Reistelm. If properly clothed against the cold, a human could survive on the Peninsula indefinitely, at least, if he had enough food supplies.
The Duneflow
The drying of the land in central Kaltia gave birth to the Duneflow, an expanse of nothing but sand and rocks under unrelenting heat. The duneflow shares many features in common with the Ohnben Great Battlefield, preventing any true capital sandships being developed in Kaltia. Most of the traffic in the duneflow comes in the form of small wheeled reconnaisance vehicles and dragoons, with the occasional tracked carrier heading to and from Nalheim.
