<strong><span class="bbc_u">The Emerald Empire</span></strong><br/><br/><em>Geography</em>: The Empire's range is so fast that it encompasses a number of climates. The north is a frigid, cold land. Home to the dwarves, orcs, and giants, it is largely barren upon it's surface and the path to the dwarf lands is blocked by a massive range of mountains, through which the only safe passage is the dwarven fortress of Raim'Eair. This is matched miles to the south by the human fortress Iron Gate, commanded by the Knight-General Akemi Wulf. General Wulf and her Iron Wolf knights protect the northern borders from incursions of giants, orcs, and the occasional frost wurm and white dragon that comes down from the mountains. As one travels south through the Empire, the great mountains eventually dwindle down to rolling hills, until they become flat plains for miles on end. Where the plains ends, the jungle erupts. The Everdawn Forest is a shared province between the Elven Confederacy and the Empire, with the Confederacy controlling an extensive and mostly unknown empire to the south. To the east of the Forest is the Serpent's Teeth, a wall so large and so long that it is considered more mountain than structure. Behind these walls lay the Yuan-Ti city-states, which occasionally send traders and diplomats to other lands. But mostly spies and assassins. Returning north, to the main body of the Empire, the western portion of the Empire is little but desert for miles upon miles, until one finally reaches the Dragon Lands. Usually, most of the time, anyone who reaches the lands is never heard from again. But sometimes, word reaches back about a glorious land full of reaches and such magic as to make all the Empire seem a slum. To the east of the Empire lay the Unending Waters, an ocean dotted with islands. Past the ocean, no one knows what exists.<br/><br/><em>Rising through the Ranks</em>: AKA, the Feudal System and You. The Emerald Empire has an interesting take on the feudal system. Anyone can rise to the rank of noble, or be born into it. Should the Emperor or another of the Royal family deem someone worthy enough, they can elevate them to any noble position and give them any unclaimed piece of land. Usually, this is a small village. Sometimes a great hero however is rewarded with a tower or even keep to claim and maintain. In just the same, a noble who loses dignity in front of the court can be stripped of his rank and his lands divided among the people. This tends to be where much of the land for a newly appointed noble comes from. In terms of game mechanics, losing too much honor can mean your character gets stripped of any rank he has by the crown.<br/><br/><em>Losing and Gaining Honor</em>: Honor is gained or lost through several means. Doing actions that impress the crown, such as slaying a monster will gain you honor. Defeating someone in a duel will earn you honor. Conversely, acting in a way that is a general embarrassment for the whole nation such as being caught in bed with the elven diplomat, will lose you honor. The primary way to gain honor is a duel of honor. Two contestants choose their arena, this could be any location such as a certain space within a forest, city square, or bar that has been hastily entered. They wager an amount of honor (you do not have to wager the same amount as your opponent). The winner of the duel gains an amount of honor equal to the highest amount bet, while the loser loses an equal amount.<br/><br/><em>Gender and Sexuality in the Empire</em>: Because noble lines are often hereditary, children of noble lines are encouraged to marry early and produce a heir as quickly as possible. However, the flip side of this is, as long as a heir is produced and the father is clear then there is little concern over who shares a bed with who. Those who do not have to worry about nobility are free to bed who they wish.