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Originally conceived by: Steve
Virtue | Nature (Life Energy) | Artemis is the mother of all living things, and brings forth in abundance. |
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Fault | The Cockatrice (Corruption) | Ignia's curse, Daeon's wound and the demonic invasions badly damaged Arcadia and the death of Dione marked the end of innocent delight even before Patternfall. It can never be the same again. |
Fate | The Creator (Nurture vs. Abandonment) | Will Daeon return to help his mother restore Arcadia or will he turn his back on Arcadia for Amber and his father? Has innocant delight forever left Arcadia with Dione's death? |
Usurper | Artemis | Artemis owns, nurtures and controls Arcadia. Artemis has hidden knowledge and powers; she controls Arcadia's destiny. |
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Arcadia is composed of a plethora of disparate kingdoms set around a large area of wild woodland close to Arden. The climate is Mediterranean but the winters are bitterly cold and snow covers the ground for at least two months of the year, often longer.
Of the minor kings, one is always recognised as the High King but this is merely a titular title, the shadow really belongs to Artemis, the principal goddess of the shadow. She regards herself as part of a larger pantheon but within Arcadia, she and her immediate family are worshipped as fertility deities. Daeon, her son, is the spirit of wild nature and the embodiment of the power of masculine generation. Her daughter, Dione, now dead, was the spirit of innocent delight in nature. Artemis herself is the feminine creative principal, the Earth Mother. All three have different aspects depending on the time of year and circumstances. Artemis is also known as Diana the Huntress and Ursula when in bear form. She also has other predatory forms with names to match. Closely tied to the Moon, she follows a largely nocturnal existence and her appearance changes with the Moon: she's blond and dresses in white at the full, but is raven haired and dressed in black at new.
Artemis is part of a larger pantheon, most of whom are rather more distant. Her father is the Sky God, Dyaus, but they argued many years ago and she rarely ventures forth under his gaze. The only member of the family that turns up a lot is Artemis' half brother, Dionysos, but the fat old man is always happily drunk.
Arcadia's happiness and prosperity is maintained through a cycle of rituals in which Artemis and her children are invoked to bring spring, summer, rain, etc. Some years ago, demons invaded, refugees from the Black Road through Arden, possibly. These inflicted much mayhem and destruction within the shadow, not least of which was the maiming of Daeon, thereby disrupting the natural progression of the seasons. The demons were driven out or destroyed after a few years but Daeon, though cured, left to aid Amber in the attack on Chaos, Arcadia, which also lost Dione, has suffered badly in recent years; held together only by repeated sacrifice, eventually of the High King himself. But with Daeon's return, hopefully all will be made well.
Technology: that of ancient Greece; the people use bronze save for the very highest who can afford to import iron. Many still prefer to use stone tools, as do the gods and their priests/priestesses. Wind and sail technology does not work and all ships require oars.
Magic: that connected with fertility and the element of Earth is very powerful, other elements less so but must still be reckoned with.