Solarean Adventures LARP Lore
Varcastia
Varcastia is a group of sovereign city-states located on the islands south of Verania. Each city is independently governed, yet they all share a similar culture and speak dialects of Varcastian (Italian). This region is home to a Rupture called the Cinder Reach, a region of cursed ash lands and lava fields surrounding an active volcano. Adventurers may travel to the Cinder Reach to look for treasure buried beneath the ash in the Lost City of Salgeri. Long ago, the people of Varcastia worshipped dragons as gods. To this day, some Varcastians still speak Draconic (Latin) and may even claim a small amount of dragon blood. Varcastia is inspired by the independent states of real-world renaissance Italy, though Greco-Roman aesthetics may also be appropriate.
Table of Contents
-
The Age of Freedom
General Information
Geography:
The Varcastian city-states are located on a group of volcanic islands. The coastlines tend to be rocky and there are many natural deep harbors. Most of the land area is hilly or mountainous and flat land is rare. City-states are all based in the few regions with enough flat fertile land and fresh water to support a large population.
The climate in Varcastia is what we would call a Mediterranean climate in the real world. Summers are very hot and dry with very little rain, while winters are mild and sometimes rainy. Snow is almost unheard of in most of Varcastia, though the highest mountain peaks may see snow in the wintertime.
Varcastian agriculture emphasizes crops that grow well in hot, dry climates such as olives, tomatoes, and chili peppers. Sheep and goats roam the grassy hillsides. Wine grapes are grown in soils enriched with volcanic ash… but these soils may also be tainted with magical energy from the Cinder Reach and the resulting wine may produce some odd effects.
Government:
Each city is independently governed, yet they all share a similar culture and speak dialects of Varcastian (Italian).
Major Cities and Landmarks:
-
The Cinder Reach
-
Inessa
-
Perantia
-
Sangrotta
Cultural Inspiration:
Present-day Varcastia is heavily inspired by the Italy during the Renaissance, when Florence, Naples, Venice, and other regions were independent sovereign states. The Draconic era of Varcastia is inspired by Greco-Roman culture and aesthetics, which may persist among some people in Varcastia to this day.
History
This section is a bit of a lore deep-dive. Most characters would have no need to know most of these details, but scholars and long-lived beings like fae or elves might wish to.
The Age of Legends and the Draconic Era
According to ancient records found in the Great Library of Lunaris in U’Nafara, the earliest mortal settlement in Varcastia was founded during the Age of Legends. In those days, the islands were a vast wilderness where wild dragons roamed. Naturally, such awe-inspiring creatures inspired worship, and in time a true god in the form of a dragon was born. This Dragon God granted gifts to both dragons and humanoid beings alike. The dragons were granted intelligence, access to powerful magic, and occasionally the power to take on the shape of an elf or a human. Humanoid beings were given the knowledge and skills to build a great and powerful city, and were granted protection from all who might threaten it. This great city was called Salgeri.
For centuries, the humans and dragons of Varcastia lived in harmony under the wise rule of the Imperator in Salgeri and under the protection of the Dragon God. For the most part, dragons and humanoids lived separate lives, though the occasional union between human and dragon or elf and dragon was not unheard of, especially among the most prominent families and dragon clans who sought alliances through marriage. As the population expanded, new cities across the islands were founded, yet all submitted to the wise and benevolent rule of the Imperator of Varcastia upon the Golden-Scale Throne in Salgeri. This period is known as Varcastia’s Draconic Era.
The Great War of the Gods
The Draconic Era ended with the outbreak of the Great War of the Gods. The exact nature of the conflict between Varcastia’s Dragon God and other deities is unknown, but it culminated in the death of the Dragon God atop the highest peak in the Varcastian islands. The intense outpouring of energy from the death of a god transformed the mountain into a volcano. Volcanic eruptions covered the land for miles around in ash and lava imbued with uncontrolled magic. This Rupture became known as the Cinder Reach.
Without the guidance of the Dragon God, Varcastia fell into a dark age. The Imperial line was broken, and the unified empire broke apart into independent city-states that struggled for survival in a war-torn world. Marble temples and palaces were dismantled so that the stone could be used to build city walls and ornamental gardens were dug up and planted with food crops. The dragons retreated into the mountains and ceased contact with humanoid beings.
The Imperial Age
The arrival of the Zanshian Empire was, at first, a welcome development for Varcastia. They had a history of being under imperial rule—to the average person, it didn’t matter if the Emperor was a human in Salgeri or an elf in Zanthia, as long as there was peace and food to eat. However, in time, the Zanshians revealed themselves to be not-so-benevolent rulers. Because Varcastia had been so devoted to a Dragon God before the war, Zanshian authorities believed that the remaining dragons in the mountains posed a threat to their Aspectist rule. The Empire sent dragon-slayers to destroy as many dragons as they could find.
Meanwhile, the Zanshian Empire maintained control by inciting conflict among the city-states. If they were fighting each other they’d be too busy to question Imperial rule. These rivalries persist to this day, even though most average people don’t realize that these conflicts originated with Zanshian meddling. Fortunately, these days the city-states are more likely to compete via economic or cultural dominance rather than military might, but they all maintain active navies and militias just in case.
The Age of Freedom
When the Zanshian Empire finally fell, people rejoiced. However, the magical energy that was released triggered a catastrophic eruption of the volcano at the center of the Cinder Reach. The volcano had always been a threat, but until now, it was mostly forest and farmland and the occasional village that was buried in ash. This time, the eruption destroyed the entire city of Salgeri. Today, the land that once was home to a beautiful and thriving city is now a desolate plain of ash and volcanic rock permeated with uncontrolled magic that creates unpredictable dangers.
Without the oppression of the Zanshian Empire, the people of Varcastia are now free to govern themselves as they see fit. However, there are no forces strong enough to unify all of Varcastia under a single government. Each city-state governs itself independently and uniquely—everything from a constitutional democracy to an absolute monarchy can be found among them.
Many Varcastians dream of unification. Each city-state competes with one another for economic, cultural, and military dominance in the hopes of becoming the center of a new, unified Varcastian nation. Wars among the city-states were not uncommon in the first few centuries of the Age of Freedom. Today, though, the city-states mainly compete through culture and economics.
(Writing credit: Kate Farley)
Major Cities and Landmarks
The Cinder Reach
The Cinder Reach is a large region of uncontrolled, chaotic, magical energy. It consists of an active volcano named Mount Pyre and the surrounding magic-infused ashlands and lava fields.
The Cinder Reach was first formed during the Great War of the Gods. The people of Varcastia once worshiped a god in dragon form, who was killed at the peak of Mount Pyre during the war. The magical energy this unleashed transformed the mountain into a deadly volcano. Eruptions are rare but can be catastrophic, destroying whole villages and forests and even cities.
The most recent major eruption of Mount Pyre was triggered by the fall of the Zanshian Empire over 1,000 years ago. It completely destroyed the city of Salgeri, which had been the capital of all of Varcastia during the Age of Legends. Now, only the bravest adventurers dare visit the Lost City to seek treasure buried beneath the magic-infused ash.
Travelers to the Cinder Reach face many dangers. These include:
-
Unpredictable portals to elemental planes of fire
-
Encounters with demons, jinn, and other intelligent supernatural beings with an affinity for fire
-
Dangerous beasts including chimaeras, firebirds, salamanders, and other fire monsters
-
Magical mirages and illusions
-
Non-magical dangers such as quicksand, poison gas, sinkholes, and molten rock
Ash from the Cinder Reach is sometimes blown by the wind into inhabited lands, which sometimes produces odd effects—crops that develop strange mutations, sheep that somehow develop fangs and a taste for blood, people who temporarily develop extraordinary new talents. Yet there are some wines made from grapes grown in the rich, volcanic soil adjacent to the Cinder Reach, and some say that this wine is the closest thing to fae wine that it is possible to make in the mortal realms.
(Writing credit: Adam Arnold)
Inessa
Inessa is the smallest city-state by land area, but its substantial navy has made it a wealthy and powerful maritime trade city. Inessan merchant companies are sometimes in economic competition with the merchant fleet of Jayu Canton. Inessa is ruled by a Duke who is elected for life by eligible citizens.
(Writing credit: Kate Farley)
Perantia
Perantia is a center of fine art, sculpture, and music, and is home to a large temple complex dedicated to Cosima the Muse, the deity of art and beauty. Perantia is ruled by a powerful Prince who is a generous patron of the arts. However, there are rumors that the Prince’s family maintains power by sabotaging rival families via complicated intrigues that sometimes involve poison.
(Writing credit: Kate Farley)
Sangrotta
The closest city-state to the Cinder Reach is Sangrotta, which is a popular destination for adventurers. It is also is home to a thriving black market controlled by organized crime “families.” It ruled by a King who is more of a figurehead than a strong ruler. It is an open secret that the king is currently being propped up by the Veranian monarchy in exchange for favorable trade deals and access to the Cinder Reach.
(Writing credit: Kate Farley)