The kingdom of Altara has long been ruled by the Greys, a family as old as the kingdom they govern. King Jerome and Queen Celine of the Noels have three children. The crown prince Brennan, the princess Raleigh, and the child prince Isaac. They live in Stormhold, the great castle of Lyria, a sprawling seaside city.
Stormhold sits squarely on the coast, on a cliff one hundred feet tall. The walls start where the cliff ends. The castle was built on one side of the walls, right along the cliff edge. The rest of the ground inside of the walls are used as a stable, a dirt training arena, a kennel and a well-sized grassy expanse dotted with trees and flowers.
Lyria spreads out from the castle walls, staying near to the coast of Seal Bay and nearby Whitewater River. Most goods are sold in the marketplaces along the Highroad, the road that leads from the castle through the city. The poorest live on the outskirts of the city, farthest from fresh or salt water. The richest live along Whitewater, taking advantage of the fresh water and easy transporation. Blacksmiths and other of crafting trades live near the castle walls, for they are usually called upon during times of war and need to be near the garrisons and castle to deliver their products efficiently. The fishers and mechants live by the coast, where a multitude of docks have been built along the drop off by the castle cliff. The other commoners, neither rich nor poor, live in the middle ground between all four.
Orutain is the neighboring kingdom. It is as rich and widely populated as Altara, but situated on the mountainous terrain that runs the edge of the coast starting just past the border of the two kingdoms. Urotain has been ruled by the Lancasters for generations uncounted. The Lancasters live in Sky Landing, the castle of Myra, a large, mountain-side city.
Sky Landing was built ages ago near the very top of a flat-peaked mountain. It overlooks most of the lands of Urotain with a magnificent view of the coast at ti's back. It's walls are neither as tall or as thick as those of Stormhold, because none have ever made it high enough up the steep side of the mountain to attack the walls directly. The castle itself is situated right in the middle of the walls, with the stables, kennels, and practice arenas spaced around it. Hardly any plants save the tough, hardy mountain grasses and short stubbly trees grow inside the castle, eliminating the need for excess room.
Myra is commonly known as the city of stairs. Unlike Lyria, there is no one main road, but three. They all cross at the exact same area, creating a fairly large market in the middle of the intersections. The richest live higher up the mountain, closer to the castle. Merchants usually reside just below the market intersection, where it is easiest to transport good up and down the mountain. The people of skill and trade love along each of the three main roads, while the poorest occupy the outskirts and very base of the mountains. The neither wealthy nor poor fill in the rest. The Roaring River runs less than a quarter-mile from the main roads of the city, made up of white-water rapids, towering waterfalls and crystalline pools as it descends the mountain.
The people of both kingdoms are troubled. Throughout their lands, people with certain powers have appeared. There seems to be no cure and no way of telling if one has powers. These powers vary, from creating winds to making fire. Because there is no way of curing it or controlling it, the kingdoms are destroying the powered people. These people are called The Gifted, The Cursed, or The Damned, depending on who you ask. If a suspected Gifted is found, they are taken in for interrogation until they either prove their powers or die. Those who prove their powers are beheaded in front of the city. There are no exceptions.
To fight the infection, Altara and Urotain have decided to ally their kingdoms by marriage. Altara's crown prince and Urotain's princess will wed and rule both kingdoms as one. But love is a pesky intruder in such arranged marriages. And things do not always go as planned, especially in a world of magic.
