Megama

Glorious Megama!  Domain of those who fly!  Proclaimers that The World is Not Broken!  The starting island for our adventure is about the size of Japan's main island, with four major connected islands that float consistantly nearby.

Founded by Megama the Farwing, an explorer and sorceress who traveled the world with her apprentice-consort Rael.  Her journeys took much of her young life, until she found an island abandoned save for a small, stone marker.  Writ on it in the Old Tongue were the words "The World is Broken".  Incensed, Megama defaced the marker, and proclaimed that she and her followers would dwell here henceforth in defiance.

Banner: The banner of Megama is a butterfly with orange and black wings, on a green field.

Monarch Razulf the Wise: An old, frail man with the most powerful sorcery on Megama, his hair, beard, and mustaches are long and curly, reaching down past his feet.  As a young man, he slew a Vampire Lord with lightning from atop the deck of his flagship.  Although slow and deliberate in both speech and thought, he is a cunning politico and a devastatingly strong sorcerer, amping up his appearance of frailty to lure his enemies into rash action.  His heirs are his daughters Gina and Paelle, born late in his life, to a Consort who died giving birth to Gina, the younger.

The Winged Crown: The crown of Megama is a magical relic from the time of the nation's founding.  In shape, it is a simple golden circlet, with a dozen different types of wings, all intricately carved, etched into it.  The effect it has is strange, magical healing being almost unknown.  One who wears the crown cannot have their wings destroyed.  If a portion of their wings are damaged, they will slowly regenerate, even if both wings have been completely cut off.

The Roofless Palace: Seat of Megama's Monarch, the most important part being a great tower of glass and crystal shaped like an open cylinder.  There are no seats or furnishings on the ground, the tower being the seat of the Monarch and court of the Winged Nobility.  One must fly to speak with those present.  The walls are decorated not with tapestries or paintings, but patterns woven into the crystal itself, seeming to move or change meaning depending on where...including above and below...one is looking at them from.  The Monarch and his family dwell in the tower walls at the top, unreachable except by flight, in open, airy quarters.  Traditionally, a Winged Noble of young age and impeccable bearing is chosen to act as a servant to the royal family.  This is a great honor, as the lucky individual is expected to share their food and drink (serving as a taste-tester), but can also be a subtle insult when the Monarch requests a noble of greater age and station than the norm.  Razulf will occasionally call for service from individuals he wishes to speak personally...and privately...with.  The palace itself is set on a tiny island connected to Megama itself, with sunskiffs for transport.

Megama's Economy: Exports silk, alcohol, finished steel goods, textiles, maps, adventurers.

POLITICAL SITUATION:

Modern Worries: Everyone is a little worried about Monarch Razulf.  Although as healthy as an old man in his eighties can be, he is still an old man, and neither of his heirs show the same promise he did.  Gina is reclusive, seldom seen, and reputedly far too obsessed with mastering Wings of Words Sorcery (with good reason, Razulf won his kingdom's love over the course of a single battle using magic) to be a proper ruler.  Paelle, on the other hand, is rumored to be both cruel and arrogant, thinking little of the common folk and more intent on scheming with the nobility, adopting the worst traits of both the Realists and the Idealists.  Among the Winged Nobles, everyone is a little leery of touching Paelle and being associated with her, but Gina seems very unlikely to take the throne, so some do what they must to secure their future influence.

The Factions: Winged Nobles are somewhat divided into two semi-coherent factions, although only the most fanatical about their position openly identify as such.  The Realists are stereotypically hard-nosed, pragmatic, selfish, ambitious, practical, and care more about what is than what should be.  Realists are more likely to side with the common man, knowing that it is industry and trade that make Megama strong.  Realists are commonly from peasant stock or new-founded lines.  Idealists look more towards the past and what should be than the future and harsh reality, and consequently believe strongly in the Megamai way of life and values.  Idealists are stereotypically delicate, effete, over-emotional, spoiled, and legalistic.  Idealists tend to come from established families with the money to train their children in Wings of Words.

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

Intentionally killing a butterfly; is viewed as disgusting and horrible, as butterflies are the symbol of Megama, and harmless creatures that exist only for the sake of their own beauty.  The penalty is branding.

Causing the feet of the Monarch to touch the ground; by profaning one too pure to touch common soil, one has demonstrated contemmpt for Megama.  The penalty is death.  Glass and crystal, as well as worked stone, do not count.

Restraining or clipping the wings of a flying animal: To deny flight to those creatures fortunate enough to possess it naturally is a grievous sin.  Those who wish to have flying pets generally treat them like outdoor cats, setting out food but not imprisoning them.  The penalty is the removal of the animal in question, and a fine.  Catching such creatures to eat, however, is not a crime, and Megaman nobility do their best to dine exclusively on flying creatures.  Poultry that doesn't really fly, such as chickens, are interesting because they do not count as flying animals for purposes of this law, but are still considered capable of flight as a food.

Weather magic: Absolutely forbidden without express permission of the Monarch.  Obviously, Stormnight counts as express permission.  The penalty is Removal, a considerably more rare and extreme form of death penalty usually reserved for traitors, regicides, and those who have grossly violated the law in horrific ways.  One's tongue and wings (if any) are removed, and the offender is hurled from the Bridge of Beasts, a stone bridge that leads over the side of the Roofless Palace and leads absolutely nowhere.

Touching a Winged Noble: For one who lacks wings to touch one who has them is criminal, although this is difficult to enforce in private.  The penalty is a whipping, usually carried out by the Winged Noble's own servants.

NOTABLE HOLIDAYS

Stormnight; actually two or three days, when Megama passes through the mist at the edge of the Great Cloud Sea,  during Stormnight intense storms (durr) cover the islands.  Citizens are strongly encouraged to stay inside, traditionally this is a time of family and prayer.  The Winged Nobles, led by the Monarch, join in ritual prayer, using magic to stave off the worst while keeping enough rain to fill the reservoirs.  It's also a holiday for lovers, when the rain drowns out all else, and children conceived during Stormnight are considered lucky, as they have a higher chance of being talented at Wings of Words.  All traffic on or off the island stops during Stormnight, and no sunships will sail then.  Arguments on Stormnight are, by tradition, supposed to be forgotten when the rain ends.

Goldenmorn: The Megama New Year, a week of festivals and fun, as Megama reaches Nearpoint (Near is when a sunship of standard size can make a voyage to another island entirely on the energy it starts with) to three of its allies.  A time of bustling trade and ostentatious displays of wealth, national fervor reaches a pitch during Goldenmorn. The climax of Goldenmorn is the Great Flight, on the second-to-last day, when the Winged Nobles make great, aerial journeys to inspect their holdings.


STANDARD OF BEAUTY

Varies between nobility and commons, who have a divide as sharp as the sky and the earth.  Those of common birth or those who cannot fly are more or less normal, but noble culture emphasizes delicate beauty and frailty.  Some nobles deliberately adopt an exagerrated air of effeminate delicacy, to make the most of their status, bursting into tears at the slightest provocation and walking (if they must) as though every step hurts their feet.

INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION

Megamai are viewed, in a somewhat contradictory manner, as both great adventurers and great cowards, a symbol of the divide between commoners and the nobility.

cOWARDICE: It isn't considered dishonorable to retreat and find a more advantageous position.  After all, to those who can fly, that is simply smart tactical thinking, and those who can fly have made the law in Megama since it was founded.

MILITARY: The greatest strength of Megama is in its sorcerer-nobles and fleet of sunships.  Megama's army trains during specific parts of the cycle, receiving wages, and then return home to their usual jobs except in case of war.  The exception to this rule are standing units such as the Butterfly Legion and the sunship fleet.  All people under arms are considered directly answerable to the Monarch, but a word from the Monarch to a Winged Noble with lands and people to recruit from is the most common way for Megama to raise soldiers...and ensures good political fortune for the Noble who successfully brings troops.

Dragonfly Legion: The most decorated and elite of Megama's forces, the Dragonfly Legion is entirely composed of Storm Sorcerers.  It is, coincidentally, one of the only ways to get an education in Wings of Words without beggaring anyone who isn't already wealthy.  They choose only the best possible candidates, and there are always, always candidates.  Founded by Rael the Dragonslayer as Megama Farwing's personal bodyguard.  Some of them wear specially-fitted armor, but more popular are enchanted uniforms of green silk, produced by the Moon Dogs tribe of Pebble Islanders, who have a significant presence on Megama.  Unattuned Legionnaires wear overlapping half-width capes shaped like a dragonfly's wings.

Megamai Guards: Megamai guards wear unadorned tunics of steel scales and gauntlets over wool or linen.  Their helmets are bowl-shaped, with overlapping, lobstered plates guarding the back of the neck, and two antennae-like plumes.  A hinged, steel mask with grilled eyeholes (to look like compound eyes) covers the upper half of their faces.  They wear orange cloaks, split in half below the shoulders to resemble wings, and carry strange polearms.  Each polearm is the height of a man, or a bit shorter, with a pair of spikes uppermost with inward-facing hooks to catch or pin criminals, and below that a small, vicious hammerhead and stiff, narrow backspike.  A bit like a scaled-down lucerne hammer with a mancatcher instead of a spearpoint at the top.  Each also carries a sturdy, close-quarters shortsword.

Megamai Soldiery: Like a scaled-up version of a Megamai guard, wearing maille or lamellar.  Officers wear a pair of curved back-banners with edges cut to resemble wings, as well as possessing steel breastplates.  The mask on their helmets is a full-face visor, and rather than mancatcher-polearms they use more standard military kit.