Trivia: Simple as it looks. Chall has a strong connection to fire. Chall was a simple combination of charred and all.
Symbols: While Chall does have a strong connection to fire it is also closely connected to its animal, Lion. Of course, our resident Zodiac is Leo. So I decided to use his Zodiac as a basis for his home. Now, five years ago, Chall’s seal was slightly different. Before the interference of the Titan of Time, the seal was a Lion head backed by double swords. After her gift of firearms, King Soren Raion commissioned a new seal. The current is a lion head backed by both a sword and a rifle. Its currency bears the seal as well as the bust of the current King’s head.
Military-wise, Chall is very strong. With the advent of firearms, even the much larger Undall has reservations about going against the powerhouse. King Raion also has many assassins and mercenaries at his disposal under the banner of the Ashen Guard.
Ten years ago, King Raion expanded his territory by taking over and destroying Aria.
The majority of Chall is poor. King Raion keeps his wealth to himself while his people suffer.
The most notable event aside from the acquisition of Aria was how King Raion rose to power. Regicide is the way of succession in Chall. Sons killing fathers. Princes killing Kings. The act makes the father proud, but the way Soren ascended left a black mark on his rule.
For years his father was sickly. He was also a kind, caring ruler, unlike his son. Soren eventually tired of his father’s weak rule and killed the sickly king in his sleep.
A young Soren Raion assumed the throne through this act.
The crown still rests firmly on his head.
First the trivia. I very creatively came up with the name of Undall while designing its location. Under the Mother Tree. At first, I wanted it in a desert, but after some consideration, I created a city under the boughs of a giant tree. So it changed from a desert to a forest backed by the ocean. So the name Undall was derived from- Under and all! Super creative!
As for the symbol, it wasn’t too hard to decide on what to go with. It’s a city under a tree, so clearly, it should have a tree somewhere on its Seal.
As far as the military is concerned, Undall is still a volunteer based society. They train people to use spears, swords, shields, and long range basic weaponry – bows/crossbows but not guns. Undall’s population is also 10x the size of Chall. So if they chose to take out their neighbors to the south, it would pose difficult even for the only place with guns.
Their relationship with Chall borders on a strenuous peace. They tolerate each other. One always waiting for the other to show weakness. Trade still functions between the two countries, but both have spies working against either side.
The people of Undall vary from Aria. People of all shapes, colors, and ethnicities live within the roots of the Mother Tree. refugees from Aria ended up here after the fall of the island Kingdom. The rarest to be found are people from Chall. King Raion refuses to let his people leave and those who do, do their best to hide even from the people of Undall. They usually live on the outskirts or near the eastern mountain range. People from Undall also dye their hair different colors, from red to blue to even pink.
Most notable is how women are treated in Undall. Undall is a patriarchal society with a council of elders. All men. Women must wear beads around their wrists to denote their status. Purple is military class, Gold is upper/trader, and Green is working girls or servants to the upper class. Women also cannot go out without male handlers, unless they work in the shadows. Where the beads mean nothing. Where the council likes to tell their secrets.
First is a bit of trivia! When I was making up names for my locations I decided to draw on the elements as well as their location in the world. Aria was name as such. I had initially intended on four based locations. Air, fire, water and earth. Aria morphed into both air and water. It is a small island off the cost of Chall. I scrambled up Air and slapped an A at the end. Thus Aria was born.
Unfortunately as a Kingdom, Aria, no longer functions as such. It is now chiefly used as farming lands for Chall. Their major export is green and golden yellow apples. Varieties of fruits and vegetables also go there. Blackberries, carrots and ginger. Although garlic is hard to come by.
The symbol for Aria. A wreath of flowers surrounding a phoenix clutching an apple. Readers will find that apples are very significant in the story of The 13th Zodiac. The phoenix was chosen as the animal symbol to promote rebirth from the flames of a fallen kingdom.
Aria once had a decent-sized navy. Since absorbed by Soren and his own. The flag of Chall flies over the castle and the Regent Lord Roland oversees it when Soren is not present.
The people of Aria are fair-skinned with varying shades of blonde to brown hair. Brighton is the major hub after the destruction of the castle. Ships come in and out of port daily. Brighton has become a tourist trap of sorts. People come for their small shops, a variety of imported wares, and beaches.
Soren’s overreaching influence taxes tourism and drives it in a way that benefits him. Aria was forced to cease most trade with Undall. Now only select merchants make the month-long journey to Undall for various goods. The biggest proprietor of goods from Undall is The Style of Undall, a shop owned by a fiery auburn-haired shopkeeper.
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