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Before I begin I'd like to note that this is an entirely independent project that I alone will be working on to start with. Although there's potential here for involvement of additional members of the community, unless otherwise stated the setting that I'll be establishing is entirely for roleplay purposes.

I'd also like to politely request that people refrain from posting in this thread, at least to begin with. If you'd like to show support, there's a like button Or PM me with ideas and suggestions!

Aim: Wintreath as a region has a history spanning some 5,000 years - according to me. Whilst I cannot hope to detail them in their entirety, I'm hoping to provide a framework with enough 'colour' for anyone to base an RP on or in.

Notes: The dating system I use will be roughly based off the BC system - that is, they are measuring dates in the past. The earliest dates will be c5,000 with more modern dates being lower, and the most modern being c5 or c10. Usage of c as a prefix to a date indicates rough dates, whereas anything without can be taken as gospel within the setting.

Also note that this interpretation of Spiritus is my own - I hold no ill will towards that region nor any of its citizens, but as part of Wintreath's founding it did indeed play a role and as such I have replicated that here. I hope no one takes offence!


Overview:
c5,000 to c4,250 - Hunter gatherer tribes prosper in what will become known as Wintreath. In this era, the climate has yet to shift dramatically towards the negative temperature ranges, and almost the entire land-mass of the region is covered in either rainforest, forest or river networks. That which isn't consists of huge plains. There are no deserts.

c4,250 to c4,000 - Dramatic shifts in the climate occur. Wintreath becomes for a period of roughly 250 years uninhabitable as the atmosphere settles. It is at this point that the Northern reaches of Wintreath are encased almost entirely in ice that has yet to retreat fully. Hardy groups of explorers from nearby civilisations attempt to traverse the land in search of anything of value, but are forced back by the storms.

c3,970 - Emergence of the Edilian Republic: a largely peaceful civilisation, the Republic is situated in the South-West reaches of Wintreath.

c3,850 - The Edilian Republic expands to control almost the entire modern-day Southwest Rides. The capital city, Utorim, becomes a centre of commerce and construction begins on several libraries, the only way in which documentation of the Republic survived.

c3,800 - The ice starts to retreat from the Central South of the region, and the meltwaters wash away much of the Edilian civilisation. Those who survive choose to seek greener pastures elsewhere, leaving behind newly verdant expanses of land.

c3,800 to c3,490 - Wintreath sits largely uninhabited again, as the refuges from the Edilian Republic firmly cement the image of a desolate and terrifying land in the minds of those who border the region.

c3,480 - Germaine De Falvosa and his army enter through the Southern Peninsulas and find the remnants of Edilian civilisation. Unlike many other adventurers, De Falvosa presses onwards and finds the by now well established forests that cover much of south Wintreath.

c3,480 to c3,100 - The De Falvosa Line initiate a series of building projects that cut large swathes of forest and lay the first foundations of the Outpost Chains of the South.

c3,450 - Vihreä Sydän is settled for the first time.

c3,425 - De Falvosa dies. His work is taken up by his two sons, who are evangelically committed to the cause.

c3,350 - First known settlement constructed on Frostlake Isle. It is theorised that this was a result of a divide between the three De Falvosa grand-children, wherein one chose to leave the path of the other two and settle elsewhere in Wintreath.

c3,300 - Ingrid Cefoê travels the Outpost chain, writing the first histories of Wintreath. This is the first known reference to the word Wintreath, although it is in the old-speak form: Witarith.

c3,250 - Emergence of the Kingdom of Arraia in the Southwest Rides. United under King Ierrhaf I, the Arraian military makes use of revolutionary tactics that allow them to smash the unorganised resistance and gain control of much of the Lyss basin.

3,189 - Clashes between De Falvosa House forces and the Kingdom of Arraia as it attempts to expand further. First known use of the Outpost chain for combative purposes. The Outposts prove nigh-unassailable and Ierrhaf I is forced to concede sovereignty to Jaëger De Falvosa, who becomes Lord Chancellor of Arraia, relegating the King to a mere figure-head.

c3,140 - Arrival of the Hunt Clan, who kick-start military development in the region.

c3,140 to c2,950 - Unification of Wintrean society against the Hunt. Much of the Kingdom of Arraia is destroyed in the fighting.

c3,000 - First known Origin construction: a spire jutting several tens of metres above the forest canopy in the South Rides. Obviously technological in design, extensive references to the spire are made throughout Wintrean society at the time.

c3,000 to c2,000 - Origin constructions such as the Eastern Defence Chain, the North Point Spheres, the Illuminated Chambers, the Long Road and the Primary Assault Network appear, often constructed almost over-night.

c2,930 - First scion of House Kestar peaceably takes control of the town of Innail. The township remains the centre of House Kestar for the next thousand years.

c2,900 - The Northern Outpost Chains are planned, and making use of the Long Road surveyors are sent to the North.

c2,760 - Much of the Eastern Defence Chain is seen to illuminate with arcing blue energy, striking out hundreds of miles into the Eastern Sea.

c2,700 to c2,400 - Construction of the Northern Outpost Chains by various groups. Gråskygge is the first to be completed, becoming the capital of the Erinvale region.

c2,510 - Several huge craters appear in the Far South, and Origin devices are seen to fly through the sky. The nights are often lit by colossal flashes of energy striking from above the clouds. The construction of the Northern Outpost Chains is put on hiatus for thirty years as things settle down.

c2,500 to c2,300 - Wintreath, until this point unified by the fear of the Hunt, begins to diverge again, with the appearance of the Rides Kingdoms: over 100 small princedoms and city-states in a constant state of attrition.

c2,360 - Assault from the north by the forces of the Vergemål is beaten back at great cost.

c2,350 to c2,110 - Formation of loose alliances between the Rides Kingdoms in response to the recent reminder of the possibility of outside aggression.

c2,280 - House Kasten rises to power in the city-state of Galdémere in the South Rides.

c2,200 to c2,100 - The skies are once again lit by arcane fires and monolithic objects dominate the horizon. This is the peak of Origin activity, and by the end of the millenium what remains of Origin culture is falling into disrepair and legend.

c2,140 - House Kasten forced to leave Galdémere after treachery by a distant cousin kills all but a single branch of the family.

c2,075 - The network of alliances between the Rides Kingdoms begins to degrade after almost three hundred years of peace, at least in regards to any invading forces.

c2,000 - Arrival of Spiritus military forces.

c2,000 to c1,920 - Spiritian soldiers crush rebellions across Wintreath and gain control of every major settlement. The Era of Kingdoms comes to an end.

1,857 - Frostlake decreed as First City of Wintreath under Spiritian administration.

c1,830 - Dalen Eksil becomes a place of exile for many northern tribes.

c1,700 - The Braignesl Cave network is explored for the first time.

c1,650 to c1,300 - The Braignesl Caves are expanded upon by generations of builders.

1,621 - First recorded clash between House Kestar and Spiritian forces in Innail. The rebellion is crushed, but House Kestar is allowed to retain control of the city.

c1,600 to c1,580 - Construction of the Arnocen Academy under the direction of the Bluteisin line. Initially designed as an abbey, the Academy becomes a centre of learning in c1,560.

c1,550 - Exploration of the Huggtänder mountains commences, with expeditions led by the Avestrii line.

c1,510 - Collapse of several caverns in the Braignesl Cave network kills tens of thousands of inhabitants, one of the largest single-instance losses of life in Wintrean history.

c1,430 - Spiritian military engages in a series of pitched battles with various tribes of the North in a mission to secure the entirety of Wintreath under sole authority of the central powers.

c1,360 - Discovery of the Skydda av Djävulen in the midst of the Huggtänder mountains. The initial opinion is a natural formation created over thousands of years by wind, rain and snow. Extensive examination reveals a human-esque face sculpted into the ice, previously missed due to the blizzards. All exploration is halted.

1,303 - First tracks of the territorial railways are laid in the Lirigon Ride.

c1,300 to c9,50 - Rail network is constructed that spans the entirety of the region.

c1,285 - The Algorah Pinnace is discovered by Spiritian expeditionary units in the Huggtänder mountains. After preliminary investigations conclude, the Algorah Prison foundations are laid.

c1,240 - House Auditore is given control of the West Rides as Spiritian administrations in the region suffer setback after setback.

1,206 - Kestar-Spiritian hostilities reignite in Innail and the surrounding areas.

c1,170 - Work begins on the port of Helmgrad in the Krall Peninsula.

c1,075 - Explorers from the Avestrii line travel further north than any previously recorded expedition.

1,072 - Far North expedition representing the combined efforts of House Avestrii and House Kasten reaches the Dèigh Siste Området. Only seven survivors make it back to Gråskygge Outpost, of which only one is anything approaching sane.

c1,010 - Helmgrad is completed and becomes the premier Eastern port for both militaristic and trading purposes.

990 - House Kaiser pledges support to House Kestar.

c930 - Norloch Spires are observed to rise from the waters of the Helmgrad straits. Trading is disrupted for several weeks as Spiritian naval vessels attempt to work out the reason behind the sudden re-emergence of the Spires. They fail to find anything concrete.

915 - Flashes of light from the Eastern Defence Network lance into the Eastern Sea. Four trading vessels and nine Spiritian fleet support ships are destroyed by after-arcing. All trade along the Helmgrad straits is suspended indefinitely, only resuming five years later after no repeat instances of the EDN activating.

864 - All contact with Galdémere is lost, and the city soon slips out of living memory.

811 - Hammerfell, up until this point a minor port on Frost Lake's southernmost extent, becomes a centre of industry.

805 - Discovery of the Workshop of the Mechanist, some 130 miles north of Frostlake City. It is immediately put to use serving the Spiritian military.

c750 - War in the southern territories of Spiritus signals the reassignment of several tens of regiments from Wintreath.

714 - House Avestrii pledges support to House Kestar.

693 - House Kasten pledges support to House Kestar.

668 - Hostilities between Spiritian forces and Wintrean natives commences in earnest.

655 - Battle of Algorah. Several Wintrean units assault the Prison and free separatists from within, at great cost.

613 - Battle of Stranglor. Reinforcements attempting to cross into Wintreath are ambushed by forces loyal to House Auditore, and fail to make passage.

612 - House Auditore pledges support to House Kestar.

570 - Members of the Bluteisin line develop the basics of gearwork principle independently of the Mechanists in the Workshop.

546 to 539 - Battle of Frostlake City. Separatist forces consisting of several of the major Houses assault the First City, engaging in a pitched battle lasting several years.

540 - House Bluteisin pledges support for House Kestar. This deprives Spiritus of much of its indigenous production capability, almost single-handedly destroying their war efforts.

539 - Wintreath is recognised as an independent entity under the rule of Inric Kestar I, an incredibly long-lived and able politician.

538 to 530 - Division of Wintreath into territories (or 'Rides', continuing the usage of the Old Wintrean term). Some are merely named after their location - North Rides, South Rides, East Rides and West Rides - whereas others take names from geographical features or important cities.

535 - N'al Reissvelt Castle is militarised.

531 - Arrival of the Meindhert and Penguon lines from Bain, signifying the island and it's locale's acceptance of sovereignty of the Monarchical family of Wintreath.

517 - Rediscovery of Galdémere. House Kasten reinstated as Masters of the City, the ancient post their forebearers had held more than a thousand years prior. It is around this time that House Danation rose from a small trading family to a powerhouse in the same city.

500 - Rail networks are upgraded with gearwork-steam hybrid engines, drastically improving transit time.

498 - Expedition of gear adepts launched with Royal approval to study the North Point Spheres.

477 - Opening of the Storting in Frostlake. Serving as an advisory body at first, the Storting's two houses are soon delegated royal authorities and become the Government of Wintreath, although still subservient to the Crown.

450 - Exploration of the Norloch Spires halted after half of the exploratory party is killed in the same instant.

419 to 311 - Construction of the Indurain Causeway network under the direction of House Avestrii, in close partnership with House Kasten. Galdémere is determined as the starting point of the Causeways.

399 - Blizzards sweep across Wintreath from the north, shutting down all non-essential travel. Trade suffers, and the Monarchy declares the start of the Hard Years.

372 - Discovery of the principles behind lighter-than-air travel by Mechanists of the Workshop. Although ill-suited to dealing with the continuing cold weather, this method of transport is quickly customised to survive even the harshest extremes of Wintrean climates.

371 - The city of Lenth is discovered by explorer Ulrin Odesca. Upon returning to Frostlake, she immediately seeks out members of the Bluteisin line and returns in 370 to begin the reconstruction efforts.

370 to 340 - Reconstruction and reopening of Lenth.

364 - End of the Hard Years.

359 - Discovery of the Lasarna collective of mountain-spires.

348 - Revitalisation of Hammerfell commences, under guidance of the Meindhert line.

339 - Hammerfell Rail Industries opens for business, headed by members of the Bluteisin, Meindhert and Avestrii line.

320 - Arnocen scholars identify several elements of the so-called "Unification Theory". Progress on gearwork principles races ahead of many nations.

315 - Large sections of Lirigon burn to the ground in the midst of winter, raising fears of internal sabotage.

314 - Two members of House Meindhert are shot dead in Kirr. It emerges that several tribes in the North East of Wintreath desire independence, and are willing to murder to achieve their goal.

312 - Start of the Civil War in the north east, with running conflicts in Kirr, Marke and Hercke.

311 - Forge-created weaponry is utilised in a battle in Hercke, and two of the seven tribes surrender.

305 - Sections of the Long Road near Tuth that had previously suffered the effects of entropy suddenly repair themselves, and the Road guide-lights reignite for the first time in 250 years.

302 - Civil War comes to an end with a peace accord that grants the 5 tribes administration over the Kirr territory, so long as they acknowledge Monarchical sovereignty. Dalen Eksil, previously in the Marke territory, is moved into Kirr through redistricting so that the tribes have authority over their traditional place of exile.

301 - Travellers who'd read reports of the Dèigh Siste Området meet Halden on their journey through the Erinvale Pass, and return to tell of his hospitality. Halden's Hearth becomes the last point of civilisation on the 'road' to the Far North.

287 - Wester is united under one House, that of Aeternus-Eternus-Umbra: a unification of three major familial lines in the city.

274 - New ship designs from Sørhavn make use of Østtrevalian stålwood for the first time, drastically increasing the hardiness of Wintrean naval vessels.

260 - Formation of Wintrean Royal Navy, with bases in Sørhavn, Helmgrad, Wester and Androx.

259 - Formation of Wintrean Royal Flying Corp, based in Lenth, Frostlake and Ossivë. The Outpost Chains are also formally recognised as military installations and each is forwarded a compliment of Hvitt Riddaral soldiers, a Flying Corp unit and a naval unit where appropriate.

252 - Collapse of a portion of the western cliff-tops, revealing the Årn ad'Imrich cavern systems. Exploration reveals the caverns spreading for hundreds, if not thousands of miles, both north and south.

248 - Loss of over half of the Royal Hunting Party in the Bain mountains after their local guide was killed in a cliff fall. Fortunately, Inric I and his immediate family survive due to the actions of his personal bodyguard.

245 - High number of missing persons in Androx first noted by Royal Census.

233 - Meindhert scholars working in recently opened vaults in N'al Reissvelt Castle stumble upon the Texts of High Learnings, detailing advanced gearwork principles, agricultural methods and revolutionary military techniques thought to have been written by some of the Origin.

216 - Contract to upgrade the territorial rail networks and merge them into a regional rail system is granted to Hammerfell Rail Industries, now solely owned by House Meindhert.

215 to 160 - Subsumation of all territorial rail networks into the Wintrean Rail Network, and creation of the Royal Railways company under direction of the Storting and the Monarch.

209 - Formal recognition of several of the larger Houses by the Monarch, in the "Decree regarding Lineage". Provision for Royal Recognition of extraordinary service to the Crown in the form of Noble Houses. This includes some of the newer Houses as well; Houses Heinrich, Everden and Telcontar are amongst them, although several have a history in Wintreath going back some hundreds of years by this point.

202 - Introduction of Rides forest management as deforestation continues at an alarming pace.

194 - First recorded instance of sky-pirating. WRFC sees action for the first time in the skies above Ossivë as several trader ships are attacked at the start of the Ossivë-Lenth run.

193 - Codification of Air Lanes Act is passed, and the Workshop of the Mechanist enters into partnership with Arnocen scholars to design a new lighter-than-air patrol ship. The result, the Ainwulf, is a fast, lightly armoured needle with a flight ceiling far above most commercial vessels, allowing it to observe the lanes from on high. The Ainwulf Corp become famous for their dive-bombing actions to prevent loss of cargo and life, and soon Ainwulf Corp members are treated as heroes by most aeronaut-traders.

190 - Construction of the Royal Palace in Frostlake is completed, along with a total civic overhaul of many of the cities districts, signaling a modernisation of the previously thousand year old plus civic structure.

187 - Researchers at Gråskygge discover several genetic modifications in the population of Erinvale. Further research proves that all Wintreans, even those who arrived recently, are subject to such alterations - the effects of which provide resistance to the cold, a certain hardiness of attitude suitable for dealing with the problems of living in such environs and resistance to the common cold.

183 - Agricultural specialists in Vihreä Sydän, West Rides, develop an aeronautical gearwork contraption for spreading seeds. It is quickly taken up by the Forest Management program to reseed some of the great forests that had over the last millenium been felled.

181 - Wester agrees to the construction of a new cliff-face community for visiting House dignitaries, with special quarters for the Royal House Kestar. It is a marvel of architectural method and influences constructions across Wintreath for several decades.

180 - Access to Wintreath through Palar is disrupted due to an explosion on the bridge crossing.

174 - Flooding of the River Lys damages the Langt Myra Outposts. The Mechanicum (Royal gearworkers) uses the opportunity to upgrade the defences of the Southern Rides.

160 to 134 - Construction of Argosai, the flying home of Wintreath's burgeoning air-trade. As the Workshop's designs became more prevalent and the quality and diversity of aero-vessels grew, and with the Lasarna taking on ever more important roles in mooring and production, the demand for an air-based 'hub' for the growing aero-culture movement finally achieved its aim.

152 - House Mikaelson is officially recognised. Based in Jormving, scions of the Line tend to be artistic in nature and soon find a niche in the booming aero-culture.

148 - Waelern Kandermi rises to notoriety as leader of a aero-pirate clan called the Invini, drawing many of its members from the plains tribe of the same name but different spelling. His fame arises from the daring stunt of capturing a WRFC Jaguar-class patrol vessel in the skies above Frostlake itself.

143 - Man portable gearwork rifles are issued to Wintreath military units and gearwork pistols and hunting weapons go on sale for the first time to the public.

117 - Invasion of the Lysshard, prompting structural re-evaluation of Wintreath's Outpost Chains in response to modern weaponry.

Notes on Bygone Cultures

The Edilian Republic - c3,870 to c3,800 - TBC

De Falvosa Line - c3,480 to c2,550 {merges into Rides Kingdoms} - TBC

Kingdom of Arraia - c3,250 to 3,189 {overtaken by the De Falvosa Line} - TBC

The Hunt Clan - c3,140 to c2,400 - TBC

Origin - c3,000 to c2,000 - TBC

House Kestar - c2,930 to present {now Royalty} - TBC

The Northern Tribes - c2,400 to present {micro-culture} - TBC

The Vergemål - ? to ? - TBC

The Rides Kingdoms - c2,300 to c1,920 - TBC

Spiritus - c2,000 to 539 - TBC

The Map of Wintreath

Larger

INCOMPLETE - See below.
As the current day is marked 0 in this timeline, it will inevitably become 'top-heavy' as more recent events are not only far better documented but far more relevant to any RP that arises from this. I'll be fleshing out the entire thing, adding more documentation in certain areas as I go, but a lot of what remains to be added clocks in between 1000 and 1 year ago.

Notes on technology

As mentioned above, Wintreath makes heavy use of so called gearwork for its technology base. Whilst this may sound outdated and horrifically inefficient to a 21^st century observer, the reality of the technology allows for an almost even match-up between the setting and current-day life.

What is gearwork?
Developed in roughly 570, gearwork is the principle of combining gears, pulleys, steam-work and other seemingly archaic technology into compact devices to meet with a desired purpose. Devices may be as simple as a gearwork clock, working off of the same theories as clockwork, or as complicated as multi-array spindle-mount barrage guns that make up the majority of the air-defence systems of Wintreath.

At a basic level, gearwork is designed to be contained within a casing of bronze-like metal, protecting all of the moving parts from damage. The real genius behind the devices that make use of gearwork is that once the perpetual motion array that makes up the heart of all gearwork devices is started, the careful gyroscopic containment units prevent it from ever stopping - allowing gearwork devices to function unimpaired by fuel requirements for as long as the parts remain undamaged by the effects of time or combat.

It is here that the next layer of gearwork comes into play. The gyroscopic containment units have hard contact points which allow the motion generated to be converted into actual motive power for the multitude of gears, pulleys and steamwork (powered by an innovative friction-based heat generator) to run off. This second layer is called the motive layer, as it draws and then provides for the energy requirements of the device itself.

The size of the perpetual motion and friction heat generator devices is dependant on the size of the contraption they are required to power. With something as small as an alarm clock, the PM device is often smaller than an inch in boom length, but in the huge aeronautical trade vessels, the engine compartment houses booms up to ten metres in length and the friction heat generators are the size of an ox.

The third layer of gearwork is called simply the effector layer. It is this layer, through careful design and construction, that provides the actual motion of all the moving parts, powers the controls, and produces the effect of the device, such as a clock hand ticking or a mutli-array spindle-mount barrage cannon firing its rounds at almost the speed of sound. Whilst it may seem that gearwork is especially vulnerable to impact damage, as it would knock everything out of alignment, careful redundancy is built into all gearwork devices that negates all but the most severe of knock and fall damage.

What gearwork looks like is down to the personal desires of the creator. Whilst most daily use designs have a mismatch of bulky and streamlined aesthetics, combat orientated devices are without fail smoothly encased, with all the working parts contained within independent baffler units to ensure operation is not impeded by damage.

What is gearwork used for?

Everything. The principles of gearwork have allowed for the construction of transportation, defensive and offensive weaponry and shielding, aero-vessels, household appliances, street lighting, communication, entertainment, armour, weather tracking, observation technology... the applications are as endless as one's imagination and constructive ability.

The most commonly seen appliances are the ground-transport vehicles and the aeronautical vessels that ply trade across Wintreath's rugged terrain and wild air-scape. Varying in size from one-person hopper (airscape) and zipper (groundscape) units that operate at high speeds but with reduced range to the multi-person behemoth and juggernaut units with colossal ranges but noticeably less speed.

Static gearwork technology is a more interesting aspect to examine. City-wide networks of lighting, gas, water and heating supply are common in major settlements and all defensive emplacements across Wintreath, making use of tunnelling techniques developed by the explorers of the Braignesl Caves to plumb these necessities straight to every building. Lantern-posts contain carefully designed networks of gases through which wires are strung in a glass container to provide the familiar yellow-orange glow, water amenities are provided for through innovative manipulation of pressure and gravitational differentials, heating is piped in the form of steam from the underground forges that fuel both this and the industry of a city and gas for cooking is done through similar means.

Inside a house, one might find gear-workbenches, small self-contained units that hold the basic tools for working and repairing the intricacies of gear-tech. Schools provide education to a minimum level in gearworking, which is vital to keeping the costs of running such a high-end technology society as low as they are. Radio devices are specifically attuned to frequencies which are then converted via management arrays into sound, and many houses have automatic season-linked shutters to keep out the cold of winter and let in the warmth of summer.

INCOMPLETE.
This section still requires a lot of expansion, especially on both military and domestic applications of gearwork. I'll be adding details so as to paint a picture of how ingrained it is in both aspects of Wintreath - it really is used for literally everything from top to bottom, and if people are to successfully role-play in this setting they need to be able to see and understand just what that means.

Notes on Society & Culture

Wintreath as a nation has a wide and diverse culture that reflects its troubled and turbulent beginnings as a separate sovereign entity just as much as it represents the highly independent multi-cultures that existed prior to the Spiritus involvement in the area. Her people span from highly libertarian to highly authoritarian, from religious to atheist and from loyal to deceiving.

To examine the society and culture, one must first look to Wintreath's capital: Frostlake City. Ever since the declaration that made it the capitol of the newly founded nation of Wintreath, Frostlake has grown from a small, isolated fishing settlement in the middle of an unforgiving icy lake into a thriving city with as many strings to its bow as it has streets on its maps.

Society in Frostlake, much like the rest of Wintreath, is divided into tiers. The first tier is the Monarchy, which includes the Royal Family and its servirs (loyalty-bonded employees). Life amongst this tier is much as one would expect - opulent in style and entertaining in outlook, money makes all of the worlds harsh realities fade away. Despite this remove from the struggles of daily life, this upper class society remains in touch with the needs and desires of regular people.

The second tier is occupied by the Families, or Lines. By Royal Decree several family lines were recognised by the Monarchy, and as such have become important corner-stones of Wintreath's society. This set-up is rather unusual in modern-day societies, but in Wintreath the Houses hold wealth and power above most of the aristocracy themselves. It is within this tier of society that actions are taken that effect Wintreath as a whole: Lines are often the owners of major companies and institutions, involved in their finance and construction, or both.

The third tier is the aforementioned aristocracy. Minor nobility, self-made entrepreneurs, business owners and those who came into wealth by merit of birth, all these and more make up the upper classes of Wintreath. Again, life here is easy with money, but most members of this tier do have a conscience. Charitable giving is a common-place action for those with wealth to take. Unlike in other societies, this strata of the social ladder is almost as broad as those that come below it.

The fourth tier is, effectively, everyone else. Between those not as rich or as well-known, there is no distinction, as all have access to the same education, the same jobs and foods, the same houses and cities. Despite the disparity between the richest and poorest, there is no real 'lower' class, instead a far more broadly inclusive middle class takes its place.


The tiered system of society in Wintreath may seem to be a constricting caste-like mechanism much like one would find in feudal countries, but instead the opposite is true. Individuals are free to move up and down the system as their fortunes grow and fade, but at no point is anyone discriminated against for being lower. Due to the comprehensive education systems, both state owned and private enterprise, the idea of equality is ingrained into most Wintreath citizens from a young age.

Because of this, Wintreath has become a wide-spread, varied culture comprised of many elements from pre-Spiritian involvement in the area and of new arrivals to the thriving nation. Multi-ethnicity is a common occurrence, and it is often the case upon travelling to a new city that its inhabitants look nothing like those of the city you've left behind.

The Houses of Wintreath

The system of Houses in Wintreath is also worthy of note. With histories often stretching back to the pre-Spiritian days, a much wilder and more savage era than today, the Houses of Wintreath hold key positions in modern society and culture. Ever since the important contributions of the Lines in the independence movement some 500 years prior to the current day, the Monarch has understood how vital their support is to the continuance of peaceful rule in the country, as well as maintaining unity. Whilst Frostlake City is the natural political home of such Lines, each has their own originating city, with strong ties to the government and running of that city and its surrounding environs.

The House system also allows each Lineage to play a useful role in aiding in the day-to-day running of the Nation itself: through various titles and styles many Patriarchs and Matriarchs now operate various Rides of Wintreath, freeing up the Monarch to focus on the general political scene rather than become engrossed in micro-political events across Wintreath's 6000+ mile breadth.

Each House is a unique entity, almost organic in nature, and has evolved through time as Wintreath has grown and developed around them. Whilst most are headed by a Patriarch or Matriarch, a figurehead who controls the interests of the House and guides its policy, some have triumvirates consisting of the most influential family members or even councils as their centre of authority. Being a member of one of the Lines, through birth or by marriage, garners one a position in society rather unlike any other - Houses are widely respected by all (save one or two persistent rumours) for their services in industry, arts and governance to the nation.

INCOMPLETE.
There's still a lot to be added here, so keep an eye posted!

Notes on Magic: A Forgotten Force

Mention magic in all but a vanishingly small number of places in Wintreath and you would be laughed out of the conversation. The advances of science, the marvels of gearwork, the industry and ingenuity sweeping through the nation in the last 400 years all seem to disprove the very existence of magic. Science, after all, seeks to explore and evaluate everything around it.

So where's magic?

Although at the surface this does appear to be true - that magic, if it ever was a thing in Wintreath's monolithic history, has long since faded from the world - one with a bright mind and a ready eye might start to notice some... incongruities in the narrative. The Saraneth Falls in the east of the nation once marked a different course, but some unexplained power shifted the watercourse miles from its original bearing. Halden, the mysterious gateman of the Far North, has lived for over five hundred years if the rumours be true, and His Majesty Inric I is equally venerable.

Dig a little deeper beneath the surface and a new narrative begins to emerge, caught only in fleeting glimpses and fragments of ancient texts, a powerful force that's always been intermingled with reality. Though modern day Wintreath has all but forgotten it, or put it down to weirdness yet to be explained away by science, the evidence of magic is in fact right in front of even the casual observer. Wintreath's many and varied microcosms and their assortment of religious beliefs.

The tribes of Dalen Eksil heritage are somewhat famed for their ability to heal the body of many wounds through the application of focused group meditation and a laying on of hands, a practice handed down over thousands of years. In the ruins of the Årn ad'Imrich cave networks, inscriptions and carvings provide light in the presence of people or reveal hidden doors where before only solid rock was in evidence.


Magic, laid bare, is an all-pervasive force that flows throughout Wintreath and its surroundings, a remnant of the powers that created the continent the nation now resides upon. It is a tool to be wielded and a system to work within all at the same time, and it is nigh incomprehensible even to those who've devoted a lifetime of work to studying the whispers and stories of magic. To modern day Wintreans, far removed from the original bloodlines of the land, the active and directed manipulation of magic is - consciously - impossible.

Magic, however, lives on in several unobserved forms.

The World
Though magic exists within everything, it flows freely and can 'pool' in certain locations. As things age, magic amasses, limited mostly - but not always - by the size of an object. A building thus accrues magic, but so too does a town, a road, a river. Even Wintreath at the level of a nation and society collects magic in this way.

This buildup of magic serves only a fraction of its intended use, adding barely noticeable layers of power over its vessel's purpose. An old inn on a high road through a dangerous, bandit-plagued pass would rejuvenate those who stopped over there whilst simultaneously but subtly discouraging violence. Old roads might speed you on your way, halt the advance of weariness or get you lost in the woods. Libraries passively encourage the acquisition of knowledge and peacefulness, and there's more to the silence of their many shelves than politeness.

Gearwork is a direct relation of magic, harnessing some fundamental principle known visibly to Wintreath as a shadow of what it truly is. Though gearwork shouldn't work, it does, and this is because of the magic that resides within the very idea of it, hailing back to the forebearers of the land.

Faith and Conviction
Although bereft of the ability to tap into the well of magic directly, its effects are still felt in modern day Wintreans. Magic likes knowledge. It likes discovering new things and experiencing the world around it, and in its own way it rewards those who pursue such things. These rewards are never quite superhuman in nature, but they do come close. The more you understand something, the more in tune you are with magic.

A cook who's spent his entire life training to be the best chef in Frostlake City will be deft of hand with a keen eye and nose for the scents of cooking. His power will be in instinctively knowing which herb to throw into a dish, the right moment to add a crucial ingredient. The more he trains, the more dedicated he becomes, the more pronounced the effects become.

The owner of an aerovessel, born and raised on its decks by his self-made aerotrader father, would have a keen sense of the wind, an innate understanding of the forces acting on his ship, a feel of the ships weight and, due to the residual connection from his father, a vague sense of where the vessels crew and passengers were. As he's effectively lived on the vessel his whole life, the owner/captain would have a strong 'bond' with his ship, meaning the ship itself would respond to his growing magical might by becoming swifter or easier to handle.

Another example would be someone who, in their spare time, trains with a favourite rifle. As their familiarity with the weapon grows, as they become more comfortable with it and confident in their skills, so too will their skills be subtly enhanced. A rifle might fire half again as far and still just as accurately in the hands of its owner compared to a stranger, even if that stranger was an accomplished marksman themselves.

This kind of magic is in everyone, and although it never blooms enough to notice, there's a reason that the famed knights, captains, artisans and politicians are as capable, a reason why the humble craftsman in a small home can produce works of finer quality than the best machinery.

Houses benefit from the accretion of magic too - those born into a Line specialising in shipping would be able to find their way around any ship and understand the basics of sailing them within minutes aboard; a scion of a House that was renowned for its painting would too possess a great eye for art. The collective association with the House itself has a trickledown effect to that House's members, though they can and do create new associations.


The truth of magic is that it's subtle, so barely there that it's almost not worth noticing. Its impact is barely felt but pivotal nonetheless, often credited to something else entirely. This is how magic works in Wintreath, and though it fluctuates over time it appears that magic is, for a given definition of the word, dormant in the nation. It exists, it gently aids and enhances, but it doesn't grant great power.

Not without relics or artifacts from bygone eras, or in hallowed halls old enough to overflow with potential. A conflagration of events can create a magical shockwave that will buoy those caught in its radius for good or for ill.

One thing is for certain, though. Magic is not understood.

So, bump! Also [RESERVED]

Please don't post in this thread directly! I will set up a PM soon, so all discussion should take place in the relevant thread here.

Made a few footnotes on each post about what I'll be expanding on in each over the next few days, and if anyone's interested in assisting with this I'd recommend reading up on everything plus this thread for all the reference materials you'd need The areas I've highlighted will be where I'll be asking for input, especially if you're a newer member and part of a House that's formed recently - I'll need to consult you on what sort of flavour you want your family and businesses to have.