Alter-Mana
Alter-Mana is the third planet in the Alter Dimension.
Map
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Six Great Nations of Alter-Mana
The six largest nations of Alter-Mana are traditionally grouped together and referred to as the Six Great Nations. Following the War of Threes, and prior to the collapse of GATO, the Six Great Nations were bound together in the Forthena Alliance, established by the Forthena Alliance Armistice Treaty that ended the war and reconciled all parties peacefully.
Kingdom of Forthena
Leading nation of Alter-Mana, situated on a vast grassland plain atop a high plateau. Prior to the arrival of the Guardians, the Forthenans were the dominant power of Alter III. They had only just independently developed a primitive form of manned spaceflight when Victor Velasco and his crew discovered the dimension; first contact between Forthena and Guardia marked the entry of Alter into the Web of Worlds.
The Beast Kingdom
A nation dominated by the Beastmen, based in a vast forest just south of the Forthena Plateau. The Mana Elemental Luna is dominant here; her magical influence causes it to always be nighttime within the Bestian Forest. This is an illusion on a nearly divine scale, yet everything within the forest behaves as though it were really night. The ambient temperature is therefore always a few degrees cooler, all creatures found in the forest are those which are traditionally nocturnal, and the sky above is dominated at all times by a large, full moon. Visitors to Bestia often have a difficult time adjusting to the constant night, especially where it comes to eating and sleep patterns.
The Witch Kingdom of Altena
Ruling the Western half of the Northern Continent, and being just across the Icefang Channel from Forthena, Altena is a center for magical study and innovation on Alter III. Altena is the Alter Dimension's only true magocracy, in the style of such places as Aryth, Mysidia and the Merge League.
Holy City of Wendel
The center of the Alterian Elementalist religion, and seat of the Bishop Charlotte Lightbringer. In terms of land area, Wendel is the smallest of the Six Great Nations of Alter-Mana (Forthena, Bestia, Altena, Wendel, Naba'al and Laurent), but it has enormous influence because of its hierarchical control over the world's dominant religion. Wendel is located on the Southern shore of Lake Astoria, just across the water from Bestia in the Northwest.
Desert Kingdom of Naba'al
Occupying the entirety of a desert sub-continent, Southeast from Wendel across the Light Mountains, Naba'al has ruled the lands of the Scorching Desert since just before the start of the War of Threes. Traditionally one of the world's poorest regions, the government of Naba'al has bolstered its economy by indulging in the Web-wide trade of a narcotic called Spice.
Wind Kingdom of Laurent
Situated high atop the mountain known to the natives as the Path to the Heavens, Laurent is a nation traditionally known to be matriarchally dominated, with only a handful of its rulers having been male Kings. The Path to the Heavens is part of the Light Mountain range, which stretches off to the Southwest (forming the border between Naba'al and Wendel) and Northwest toward the Castle City of Jadd.
Other Lands
There are several smaller nations, cultures and peoples on Alter-Mana, that have traditionally been more isolated both from their neighbors within the Alter Dimension, and from the larger Web of Worlds.
The Luon Federation
Comprised of the Luon Trade Road and its environs, the Federation was founded by the successful Neko Merchants Guild, in cooperation with the Barzel Black Market Guild and the Dwarven Miners Guild. These three Guilds together form the core of the Federation. Federation territory includes the city of Barzel, the Dwarven city of Ulkan and the port town of Maia.
Castle City of Jadd
Jadd has always been considered a center of Alter-Mana. Geographically, Jadd is situated centrally to almost every major nation on the planet, and is considered a mid-point in several long-range maritime travel routes. Politically, Jadd is neutral: the city's leaders have played a strong leadership role during times of peace and have been able to broker peace accords in times of war. Economically, Jadd has always been among the most wealthy cities in the Alter Dimension, in part because its neutrality and central location make it an ideal trading partner for all parts of the world. Militarily, control of Jadd has determined the outcomes of several wars throughout Alter-Mana's history: most recently, in the War of Threes, the Beast Kingdom conquered Jadd early on, and had the advantage of Jadd's supply lines for most of the early conflicts of the war. Since the close of the war, Jadd has regained its independence and remains neutral. For a time it was the unofficial capital of the Forthena Alliance, and then later it was the site of the embassies for the Confederation and GATO. Now that the Six Great Nations are less a monolith, Jadd's role in Web affairs has been reduced somewhat.
Considered part of the territory of Jadd is the city of New Astoria, built upon the ruins of the lakeside city that was destroyed by the Beast Kingdom during the war. Also part of Jadd's territory is the Korobokuru Wood, which is home to Alter-Mana's population of Midges.
Free Island of Bucca
Bucca is an island off the coast of the main continent, lying due West of the Beastlands and South of Forthena. Several races of non-human sapients dwell here, the descendents of "monsters" that fled from the expanding civilized races of Alter-Mana over the course of several centuries.
Most of Bucca's dennizens live in or around Shaman Village on the forested side of the island. There is a smaller community on the south side, on Madora Beach. The Windcallers have built a shrine to Akravator on the Norn Peaks.
The Realms of the Ancients
Long before the founding of even the Six Great Nations, there were three empires of powerful immortal races that ruled Alter-mana: the Elves, the Mavoles and the Jumi. They coexisted in peace for millennia, until treachery from the Mavoles sparked a devastating war that raged for three hundred years. The casualties mounted on all sides, until the fighting simply stopped. No peace was declared, or armistice reached: the three races were simply too few to carry on the fight. And so they withdrew: the Elves to their forested realm in Diorre, the Mavoles to their shadowy kingdom in Mindas, and the Jumi to their lands in Etansel. In the time that the Ancients have been in repose, humanity has become ascendant, and now it is their kingdoms who dominate the world.
