Realms Contest! (CLOSED)

[DaeSiggil]

Been brooding on it for a while as well ;; Although I most likely would modify and explain/add more things (if questioned about) the next time I'm allowed on the computer.

Realm Name: Nwalme (nwahl-may) Temple.

Lay of the Land: The lands are covered in full, lush forests, with trees that grow extremely tall. Amongst them are what seem like randomly placed stones, upon closer inspection however they look a lot like some kind of ruins that can be identified as temples quite soon, with something running down the sides that looks suspiciously like body fluids. It gives off a creepy atmosphere, but also draws unexpected and expected visitors in who don't have a real purpose on coming here. Those with no purpose there tend to never return, it is a place of secrets for sure. Those that do return never tell anything about it. The weather is mostly good; not too warm, neither is it too cold. Sometimes echoes, sounding suspiciously like screams sound up.

Colors/Patterns: They tend to be from a light grey to a near black color, lighter than the black suits on their chest. Blue-greenish lines, run across their bodies and make them look like the stones surrounding them. It seems to center around the suit on their chest. Their eyes are always light colored and appear soulless. If they should sit still a passer-by would think of them as nothing more than a statue. There are exceptions on those colors, some individuals look more white (like marble). The eyes always do remain the same however.

History: They are neutral, extremely so. They never fight when it isn't needed, doesn't mean that they received quite the reputation as fearsome fighters however if it is needed and if one can get one to act as a bodyguard s/he can count that no one with ill intent will ever reach him or her. Every suit is equal there, although hearts are held slightly higher, believed that they gather any knowledge that the 'lower' suits have gathered as they travel around freely, they have no trouble with that, either they are too afraid to stop them or have too much respect. The fool who tries is quickly killed if getting the chance. Those Hearts are the only one allowed to pass it down to an outsider and they pride themselves in it. They hide a terrible secret however, those wandering in their lands are sometimes captured and sacrificed for things only they know off.

Location: Highlands or the Hisstor Wastes

Feelings: I think they either would respect them or fear them. They have a nasty reputation of sacrificing those from the other realms, especially those wandering there that do not seek their wisdom. Those seeking wisdom however may find it there as well and have a high chance of returning to the other realms alive.

[Satra]

Feb 10, 2010 14:30:02 GMT -5 DaeSiggil said:

Location: Highlands or the Hisstor Wastes

I have to admit, I am confused by this. Are you saying this realm is inside either of these realms? (The point of the contest is to fill up the blank space on the map. :3 )

[Greenie]

Realm Name: Consternaine

Lay of the Land: The land is mostly farmland, with a few medium-sized towns in perfect position from one another cutting neatly and exactly into the countryside. Consternaine appears to be perfect. Every single tree, flower, and bush is precisely in line with the one next to it, with perfect spacing in between; every home is not precisely identical, but they follow specific regulations and patterns; every path is laid perfectly. Gardens are kept up to code, roofs are never missing a shingle, and it is nigh impossible to find a house that is in need of a fresh coat of paint or a fence that needs repairing. Even the less inhabited areas of Consternaine appear as though a guardian weeder has been watching over them. Consternaine is beautifully perfect.

Colors/Patterns:
Most Connies are a dark cadet blue in color, though a typical variation is a medium-navy. Their pattern is a snaggletooth-type outline, which is often large in broader areas of the body, such as the torso and fluffy tails, and smaller and more repetitive along smaller limbs. The outline is usually somewhere between a subtle lime and a dark olive. The tips of their ears, tails and any tufts of hair are usually solid in the contrasting green shade. Individuals will often wear a scrap of fabric around one ankle that represents the color of their martial belt level.

History: Consternaine is a society that prides itself on its perfection of both mind and body. Children are taught at a young age that offending anyone is strictly forbidden, and they learn a very strict and complicated set of societal rules that every individual follows for the rest of their lives. Consternaineans do not fight with each other, and they do not fight with other lands; they thrive on a deep sense of respect for oneself and others, and this code is law to them like simple things like not thieving are laws to other lands. In contrast to this, each Consternainean child is also introduced to martial arts at a young age, and continue it until they graduate from secondary school as a simple matter of course. In the views of their society, martial arts are the best way to show a child how and why we use such heavy respect, though physical fighting is, of course, strictly prohibited except in regulated matches and in self defense.

Location: It’s located in the large strip of land, in between Esterberry and Avington; it meets the border of the Highlands, and extends out, forming a straight line from the far edge of Torquehelm to about halfway over Esterberry’s border.

Feelings: Consternaineans are well-known as being obsessively peaceful, and interact with other realms in the way of the “golden rule,” which often leads to them being seen as full of “weaklings” for their lack of confrontational nature. They are often carefully uneasy with their neighbors in particular; Esterberrians see them as silly for promoting such a communal attitude over individualistic, the Highlanders see them as mere pawns, and Consternaineans instinctively distrust the Avingtons and their secrets, as hiding something is a shunned practice by their society. These “problems” are never revealed beyond closed doors, as to insult another realm would be just as horrible as insulting one’s mother; in truth, most of them simply are unsure how to gain acceptance and still follow their own moral code in other, strange societies.

[Bee]

Similarities to Guild Wars: Factions are entirely intentional. Vague similarities to Kitty's history are not. *headdesk* Overlap makes me queasy. Oh well.
__

Realm Name: Halvard

Lay of the Land: Most of the region is a petrified, old growth forest, with twisted undergrowth as hard as rock and waters turned to jade. It is utterly silent and still, except for the faint, rough grinding of stone.

Colors/Patterns: Residents are primarily jade green, mottled with grey and sometimes faint spots of auburn. Their faces tend to have more grey than anywhere else, though a grey-point pattern is not entirely uncommon. Residents sometimes sport rough little horns or other rocky protrusions, and their skin seems tougher and more resilient than most.

History: The region was once a thriving, sprawling forest, peppered with farmland, and dotted with clear, clean lakes. Then it was hit by magical catastrophe. No one is quite sure what sparked it, but the going theory—indeed, the theory their society is now built upon—is that it was the people themselves. Society in Halvard had been obsessively magical, ranking for power, experimenting for it and with it; even the lowliest of ranked Cards had astonishing abilities. They thought more highly of themselves than Highlanders. Those from Halvard now believe that their obsession led to a magical backlash, as no people were meant to command so much magic, and Nature punished them. In the night, a horrific storm swept the entire region, flattening villages, and turning the entire region into virtual stone. Animals froze on trees. Bushes hardened and ceased to rustle. As dawn arrived, the unaffected Card population crawled from their hiding places to discover a new realm.

Believing this to be their punishment for hubris, the Cards stubbornly remained, carving new homes into huge, petrified trees, and mining their jade lakes for trade; they imported food and water, principally from the Highlands, who charged them outrageously for it. Over time, some of the forest began to wake; twisted, stone-like creatures that had once been animals began roaming, eating petrified plants. The Cards discovered that food digested by these strange animals was actually edible, and they achieved some degree of economic independence by hunting these beasts and breaking them open.

The region now shuns magic, passionately; even Clubs who work in the jade quarries are encouraged not to use their basic abilities to help them. As a consequence, most Cards from Halvard tend not to rank, and those few who do refuse to use the power that comes with the prestige. It is one of the few realms where Face Cards are actively distrusted, and high-ranked foreigners are dissuaded from visiting, as they are seen as horrible luck, tempting Nature to bring down her wrath again.

Location: Borders the Highlands, Avington, and Esterberry, stopping around Torquehelm/Tulgey Wood. The path from the Capital to the Court of Hearts DOES pass through this region, though that stretch of land of has been claimed by the Court, something the people of Halvard are not happy with. They hate the travelers, and would at least like to charge them some kind of toll. The fact that the Court of Hearts is in the Highlands might have something to do with it.

Feelings: Having spent a number of years getting economically screwed by the Highlanders as they recovered their society, Halvardians are not fond of them at all, looking at them as some kind of evil empire. They also see in them the same arrogance that they themselves used to possess, and console themselves with the belief that one day, Nature will punish the Highlands too. They try to get most of their water from the Selkie Lakes, though the importing process is long and costly.

They have an odd sort of relationship with Esterberries and Corvies; they tend not to like the former’s snootiness and the latter’s fondness for mad science, but they need them. Their petrifying storm did not, it was discovered, leave Cards entirely unaffected. A small percentage of Halvardians, nearing middle age but sometimes as young as their mid-teens, begin healing wrong. Their bodies replace broken tissue with bone, and slowly, but surely, the Card freezes into place. This moves to their internal organs, and they die. They have tried desperately to enlist the help of Esterberries and Corvies with finding a cure, but attempts have been utterly unsuccessful. Esterberry groups have also provided some aid over the years, in exchange for the right to study their realm.

Between the Highlanders, the Corvies, the Selkies, and the Esterberries, Halvardians see themselves as locked into relationships it hates but needs to survive, and they are at once extremely resentful of it and see it as part of their punishment. Since they voluntarily endure such terrible conditions, and make few attempts to better themselves, many realms see them as self-righteous martyrs without a cause, and look at them with either scorn or pity. The realm has, however, produced a number of philosophers and some profoundly depressing literature, and their Luddite lifestyle and outlook has garnered some followers outside their region.

[Harpsdesire]

Realm Name: Lindenshire

Lay of the Land: Lindenshire is known for the extreme fertility of its soil and the simple, pastoral lifestyle favored by its inhabitants. Gently rolling fields, orchards, well-tended hedges and small copses of trees make up most of the landscape, dotted here and there by ponds. The climate is favorable for growing many crops. Few other resources are available; The trees rarely grow large enough for commercial logging, and mineral deposits are all but nonexistent.

Colors/Patterns: In keeping with the practical attitude of the realm, most residents are heavily built and colored in earthy greens and sepia tones. The most commonly seen mutation is hooves, even on breeds that would normally have paws. Manes are often worn trimmed short, and an especially long mane is seen as a sign of undesirable vanity.

History: The residents of Lindenshire are mainly farmers, and while the richness of the land ensures that poverty is rare and trade with nearby realms is plentiful, most choose to build small, utilitarian homes and live simply off the produce of their own farms. Anything 'newfangled' or modern is regarded with suspicion, and conspicuous displays of wealth or power are considered in very poor taste. Cards with a mellow, steady disposition, good judgment and strong work ethic tend to be the most highly respected, with favorable personality traits superseding suit and rank as the primary basis of choosing local authority figures. Perhaps this is why the realm seems to have a higher than usual incidence of Clubs and low-ranked cards. Some regard the area as somewhat of a haven for intelligent Aces, who are generally quite well treated and may even find employment as farm laborers, provided they prove their willingness to work.
Another side effect of this less rank-centric society is that very few Lindians aspire to rank up or obtain court positions. Nevertheless, the hard-working, loyal and dedicated cards are very highly prized as servants of the courts. Lindians are also well suited to the duties of titled Jacks and Kings, since their attention to detail and ability to shoulder large workloads with undue stress more than makes up for their lack of ambition and mental acuity.

Location: This rather large realm extends from the highlands nearly to the Capital city, sharing borders with Morganberry and Avington.

Feelings: Although Lindians are wary of science and technology, and therefor view the residents of Corvistowne and Esterberry with some suspicion, this caution has never escalated into outright dislike. The neighboring Morganberries are a bit of a different story. Cards of Lindenshire view the citizens of Morganberry as power-hungry egomaniacs, while the Morganberries see their pastoral neighbors as unmotivated dimwits. Since both sides are aware that a feud benefits neither of them, trade routes remain open and relationships maintain a strained civility.

[DaeSiggil]

Feb 10, 2010 16:55:13 GMT -5 Satra said:

Feb 10, 2010 14:30:02 GMT -5 DaeSiggil said:

Location: Highlands or the Hisstor Wastes

I have to admit, I am confused by this. Are you saying this realm is inside either of these realms? (The point of the contest is to fill up the blank space on the map. :3 )

No, not inside... XD
Sorry, it's lying next to one of those realms~

[Harpsdesire]

Realm Name: Fairsprings

Lay of the Land: Fairsprings is a small but beautiful realm of lightly wooded terrain rich in birch and aspen trees, gently rolling hills and small clear springs of water, from which it derives its name. The land is peppered with charming inns and resorts, many decorated with elaborate wood carvings of flowers, birds and mythical creatures.

Colors/Patterns: Fairsprings are colored to match their dispositions: bright spring greens with a blanket of light yellow dapples and legs zebra-striped in bright blue, purple, or occasionally even magenta. Feathery, moth-like 'feelers' are a common mutation in the realm, as are tiny decorative butterfly wings and flowing golden manes. Many cards consider Fairspring coats to be quite gaudy, but others are enthralled by the combination of bright color and decorative mutations

History: Some of the more superstitious residents, as well as many outsiders, believe the frigid and crystalline water of the springs has magical properties of healing and amplifying magic. No one has successfully proved or disproved this, but the hype is enough to make the area a bit of a tourist destination, and allows the locals to do a brisk trade in potions and remedies made with the spring water. Various resorts also bring in a good deal of money as cards come from all over to bathe in or drink the curative water, take in the rich cultural and artistic sights and indulge in the realm's famed cuisine.
Residents of the area are known for being cheerful, playful practical jokers, quite in contrast with the bordering Torquehelms and Tulgeys. They are outwardly flighty, flirtatious and vain, but most possess a shrewd intellect and more insight than they get credit for.
Another interesting quality of Fairsprings is the tendency for them to have surprisingly melodious voices. Promising children are often sent to Villa en Miir for vocal training. These Villa-trained singers are in much demand to perform in the resorts and have quite a bit of status regardless of rank.

Location: East of Torquehelm

Feelings: The nearby Torquehelms harbor more than a little disdain for their flashy, flighty neighbors, but officially the realms are on good terms. Because of their brilliant coloring, flirtatious demeanor and attractive mutations, women of Yarrow Gardens consider female Fairsprings especially desirable, and even Fairsprings males can be found secreted in less savory parts of the Garden.

[carcinoGeneticist]

I might actually like this one better. Oh me oh my.

Realm Name: Zehtral Chaparral (Zehtraii)

Lay of the Land:: The Zehtral is a fairly average region, at a glance. Ninety percent of its land is made up of small rolling hills blanketed with lush grasses. For the hotter months of the year, most of this grass is golden or brown, and in the winter, it remains mild and rarely experiences a freeze. Instead, the region experiences quite a lot of rain. Because of this, during the spring the grasses turn to a brilliant emerald, and wildflowers blossom across the region. There are a few months of color said to rival even the foliage of the Yarrow - an added bonus being, of course, the fact that the Zehtral is not at all poisonous to those not born within its borders. Closer to the Forest of Kahmden, trees begin to spring up until one realm blends seamlessly into the other, and elsewhere it slopes into the beautiful land of Josiggy.

Most of the towns in the Zehtral are found clustered around rivers and their floodplains. The people tend to be obsessed with cultivation of fruits, primarily berries in the lowlands, grapes on the slopes of the hills, and some tree-fruit such as peaches, plums, and apricots across the flatter stretches and at the tops of hills. With the hot quality of the summers, fruit is easily grown and almost every settlement is surrounded by acres of crops as well as tilled canals that supply those crops with water. Generally, the population centers are built atop these crisscrossing canals, and the people have used this as an excuse to build elegant and beautiful bridges that give their cities a rather whimsical feel. Taller shade-trees such as oak and maple are also frequently planted over houses and backyards, making life comfortable even in the worst heat. These trees are frequently decorated by the families who live beneath them, multicolored streamers, glass orbs that catch and reflect light, and wind ornaments found hanging from their branches.

The spiral plays a major part in the beliefs of the Zehtraii, and so it is a pattern often found in archetecture. Often, the trees in a city are planted in such a way that they radiate from a central point out towards the outskirts of the town. This pattern is one that can only be easily recognized from the air.

Colors/Patterns: Many regard the Zehtraii to be a rather beautiful group of people, though others still see them as rather garish and annoyingly soft. Their base coat, upon first glance, appears white. It is actually a very, very light blue-gray, though this usually only shows in the shaded areas of their coat. Located randomly across the body are patches of light purple spots. These can pop up anywhere, but are most commonly across the haunches, shoulders, and ribcage. It is not at all uncommon for an individual to also have some spots around their eyes, as well. What really makes Zehtraii stand out, however, are their green vine-like markings. These markings generally start at their extremities and grow from there, coiling around the legs and tapering off into delicate swirls, though these markings are more natural than those of Highlanders or Lowlanders.

A common mutation seen on Zehtraii is the presence of long and sometimes curling flag feathers, generally rising off the body near the top of the base of the tail. These feathers are controlled with the tail, and as such are very closely linked to emotions and often give away quite a lot about an individual's current mental state.


Zehtraii bird. Her spirals are extremely tight, indicating that she had external influence in her past - possibly Highland.


Canine, also displaying the flag-feather mutation. His spotting is fairly extensive, though his vine markings are fairly typical in terms of their rather organic appearance.

History: The biggest import out of the Zehtral is fresh produce. Most individuals help either on the farm or with distribution and sales of goods. Some processing of fruit also occurs, making wine and dried fruits. Though they are exceptional farmers, it is impossible to deny that they are a very strange group of people. Emotional almost to a fault, the Zehtraii always go to the extremes of what they are feeling. When they are upset, they can rival even the most morose of Torques, and at their peak of happiness their cheer can irritate even the most good-natured. A number of them are also highly empathetic, rather easily influenced by the moods of those around them. This causes what are often seen as extreme mood-swings.

This empathy is connected to their history with the Lowlands. There have been rumors that, at one point, a group of Lowlanders led by an elder with the most amazing spiralling markings came to they mayor in charge of shipping foodstuff and other supplies to other realms. They begged him to cut off his sales to the Josiggy in order to help delay an attack that they had gotten word of in the hopes that it would give them time to relocate. The plea was emotional, but the mayor ignored them. Weeks later, hundreds of Lowlanders both young and old were killed in a gory massacre. The Zetraii were stunned by the violence of the act. Many realized their fault when the Lowlander who had originally made his plea returned, barely hanging onto life, with a curse. He told them that if they ever ignored a heartfelt plea like his own again, their realm would be stricken with much the same rot as afflicted the Lowlands.

Then he died, and from the place he fell a spiral of death moved out from around him, burning the ground beneath their feet. The crops that year failed, and illness swept through the villages. It only ended when trade with the Jossigy faction in charge of the attack stopped entirely. The people began to accept all emotions fully, realizing that if they felt the pain of others, they would be less likely to ignore pain when they saw it. Whether or not the curse is real is not known, because no one wanted to take such a risk. This was just the Way Things Were.

Location: Curling around the Northern edge of the Diamond court and along the border of the Forest of Kahmden, and extending out partway against the border of the Josiggy Marsh.

Feelings: Most other Realms deal with the Zehtraii only rarely, through trade and the like. For the most part, they are seen as a rather nice group of people to be around - provided you're in a good mood, of course, and not feeling too strongly any one way.

Relationships between the Zehtraii and the Josiggy have soured somewhat and can be described as tense at the very best, simply because the farmers are loathe to fully open trade again out of fear that they will aid in another attack. Though they find Lowlanders repulsive to look at, many Zehtraii farmers ship a fraction of their crops as charity to the realm, hoping to bring at least a little joy. This has done nothing to help ease tensions between themselves and Josiggy.

In general, those from the Forest of Kahmden are bewildered by the rather violently emotional Zehtraii, and are often not sure what to make of them. Solandrians find the Zehtraii to be rather repulsive, all glitter and no real vitality to speak of. The Zehtraii themselves are rather enamored of the Highlanders, finding their tight spiralling markings to be incredibly attractive.

[Satra]

(I might tweak this, I posted it rather hastily. :B derp )

Realm Name: Ghovanholm Ravines

Lay of the Land: A relatively windy area that sees a lot of cloudy skies and more rain than most places. The soil, water and air are very unique in this area, giving it a unique flora and fauna found no where else in the world. The steep hills also make for an interesting land set up. At the top of the hills is grass and one or two small trees, in the ravines of the hills is dense growth almost forest-like in their make (these are very steep hills, you see). Some people choose to make their homes

Colors/Patterns: Cobalt blue base with (usually) symmetrical white patches outlines in pink. Black strips interrupt this almost pastel palette. Their eyes are green. Sometimes they are red, but this is a mutation that is interpreted as either a good or a bad omen, depending on a person's background. They have a spot spot on their neck/chest and black eyebrow dots.
Common alterations: When someone from this region becomes an Alchemist of some prestige, they are to invent a personal symbol to represent themselves (if they haven’t already) and have their Counsel brand the individual with their own emblem in some way (tattoo, decorative scaring or other; though those two are the most common). It is considered almost taboo to give oneself this marking. Also, if the individual demonstrates and affinity for elemental magic, they can also be marked in some way with that element (tattoo, scar, jewelry indicating the element, etc. this one is taken less seriously). Most parents get this done on a child without their consent if the ability is displayed at a young age. They also tend to experiment on themselves.

Same lineart as last time. This is an unaltered member of the realm.



History: The people in this region are obsessed with Alchemy. Alchemy is the art of exploring science and magic and the very close relationship between the two. Many treat this exploration of knowledge as a spiritual and/or philosophical quest and get irritated at the misconception that the entirety of Alchemy is about turning lead to gold.
There are those who say that way in the past a few Corvistownes who studied Yarrow poisons went to the border and stayed for too long. In their delirious sickness, they came up with the idea of a spiritual path that involved journeying hand-in-hand with science and magic. Another story states that there was a religious cult of Yarrows that was ostracized by the mainstream culture forced to leave the area. This put them in contact with field biologists from Corvistowne and the region was born that way. Other say it was a mixture of both. Either way, it is what it is now. (What actually happened: They’ve always been there. Both stories are true about the Corvies and the Yarrow cult, but those people only served to breed into the stock already there and altering their coat patterns a little).
Because of this belief that their practice of Alchemy is a spiritual path, the people are just as likely (if not more so) to experiment on themselves or willing colleagues. However; being that they view it as a spiritual path, they tend not to take unwilling sentient specimens and take care to treat all animals (and, in some cases, plants) humanely and with respect. Those who do not are viewed as heading down a dark path.
Despite their love of science and technology, the people prefer to live as close to the land as possible while still enjoying the conveniences of modern technology. Their villages are simple and paved roads are very rare.

They are generally a happy, fun-loving and peaceful people with a love of knowledge and community and have a deep sense of spirituality. Generally.

Location: Between the Yarrow Gardens, Court of Spades and Corvistowne.



Feelings: They love Esterberry and Corviestowne, and this sentiment gave them good contacts, so those feelings are returned. They really try to be friendly to everyone and by refusing to get involved in wars that are not their own (or that they feel one side is fully justified), they don’t have very many enemies, if at all. they do tend to look down on uneducated regions, though pitying them more than anything. It’s mostly religious zealots that dislike them, calling them hippies and hold great disdain for their theology, criticizing it for being too abstract and an excuse for not adhering to any rules save for the ones they make up.

[Lucca]

((The history is a BIT long, sorry. >> ))

Realm Name: Lychester Fields

Lay of the Land: Lychester Fields is pretty flat, without a lot of trees, and is mostly rolling meadows, broken up by small stands of bushes (mostly cultivated). What it does have, in abundance, is flowers. Flowers in a diversity and abundance not seen anywhere else in all the Realms...not even Yarrow. Even flowers that could normally only grow in very specific climates seem to flourish here, with flowers from the top of the Sorgaire Range to tropical varieties from Midori Beach are able to flourish here. The only exception is any of the poisonous Yarrow Gardens flowers, which will die within mere hours of being planted in the soil.

The residents build rather quaint little houses without a lot of modern technology. Imported wood is the most common building material, and houses dug out of the side of a hill or even just shelters made from convincing plants to grow a certain way are also fairly common (for this reason, a Club with the ability to manipulate plantlife is seen as a wonderful thing and their services will always be in high demand). Stone is rare, but there are a few residents that go that route.

The climate is very mild and warm all year.

Colors/Patterns: Their base fur color is yellow of varying shades, and they have very large blue spots. These spots can be in many patterns, from calico-type markings, to those you might see on a spotted dog or cow. One thing that makes them rather distinct is that they have a small marking somewhere on their bodies that's shaped a little like a flower with four petals. The color of this marking varies, though red or green are the most common, and whatever color their marking is, their eyes, noses and other small accents tend to be a lighter version of it. Very, very rarely, a Card from this Realm won't have any spots; just a pure yellow coat and their flower marking.



History: The Cards of Lychester Fields are an extremely friendly bunch. They tend to welcome visitors to their Realm with open arms, and not just because they do a wonderful business in tourism. The main thing that attracts others to the Realm being the endless fields of just about any kind of flower. They even treat Lowlanders fairly well, though some of the more superstitious among them will carefully guide the Lowlanders away from their prize flower gardens. The only exception to this is Yarrows, who find themselves 'politely discouraged' from travelling in the Realm, but are still treated with much the same friendliness by most residents if they do show up.

The economy of this Realm is based in tourism and on flowers. They export flowers, including many cultivars that they breed themselves, and also work to help other plant breeders who need a spot to expand their stock, since they can be assured their flower will grow very well in Lychester. Strangely enough, despite the fact that Lychester plant breeders or naturalists are dedicated to their work, unfriendly competition between residents is almost unheard of. They seem to live in a very utopian society, with everyone looking out for each other, regardless of Suit or Rank.

Lychester Fields seems like such a happy place that no one would suspect that this gragarious, outgoing attitude is specifically in place to hide something. The sunshine and peace of the Realm is the love of all the residents, and they want to keep their Realm the way it is. So some hide this secret out of a desire to really, honestly live in this utopian society, some out of sheer loyalty to their own Realm, and some out of the desire to pretend it doesn't exist. The secret is nothing really physical, but is a sort of deep-seated belief and goal held by many of the residents. In short, they want to expand their Realm. Their Realm is the best, after all, so wouldn't the world be a better place if they could just...turn the entire place into fields upon fields of flowers? Imagine Torquehelm turned into a lovely, idyllic land of flowers. The motto of those Cards who believe this is "Lychester Fields Forever", and the majority of them actually do think this in some form or another, though only a few are actively seeking out ways to try and make it happen.

Their openness to the other Realms, therefore, conceals a bias that most other Realms are inferior to their own. Yarrows are especially hated, for the fact that their Realm is 'trying' be like Lychester, but the way they exclude males and the fact that their flowers are toxic makes them the very worst out of all.

Location: Near Esterberry and Yarrow, but ends before the Court of Spades.

Feelings: The Yarrows hate them, knowing that, however much they pretend otherwise, the feeling is mutal. They also see them as silly and frivolous, with far too little 'substance' to their life style.

The Lowlands actually like them for being one of the few Realms that doesn't treat them much differently.

Most of the other Realms are rather neutral towards them, as they mostly keep to themselves, and are a good spot for vacationing or if you want to find a new kind of flower for your garden.