Shioya is a kingdom of decent size, it is powerful and well-armed with both a large army and a large navy. Shioya is about 95% desert with very little land to grow any sort of crop on. To the south are large rocky mountains while to the north is a vast ocean. The mountains offer very little in the way of trade goods, other than flint and sandstone. Steep slopes and loose rocks make these mountains unstable and dangerous. The sands of Skioya desert reach from the far south all the way to the shores of the ocean. The only green in the hot almost unbearable land lines the coast of the Bay of Roses The bay is given this name for how well roses grow in that lush green area. The roses line the bay giving the water a rose red color. The towns that line the coast of the lay are elegant box like structures, roses clime the side of the white buildings. Lanterns line gold colored streets while wild flowers gracefully decorate the ground and trees in the coast lining towns. Each romantic town has its own port and is well secured with large thick stone walls meant to protect them from the neighboring kingdoms. The port Mortine sits at the mouth of the bay. A large bridge connects the two different sides of the town while a large steel gate keeps unauthorized ships from entering the bay towns. Port Mortine is a strong fortress that sits half in the desert half on lush soil. This port is the only port travelers are able to dock at, while all other ports are meant for shipping trade. Although the towns lining the Bay of Roses are lush and romantic that is only a small portion of the ports. Most sit on the hot desert coast of Shioya. These towns look nothing like the towns that line the bay. These towns are both military and trade ports, lines with great stone walls and filled with weapons of different sorts. The sandy streets of these ports are lines with nothing more than sand and small cactus. The buildings are bleached while with black stone roofs. Though the land is hard the people of the land still seem rather pleasant but still harty. Most people of the land are dark skinned either because of their ethnicity or from a tan because of the sun. The people that live in these ports are fishermen, making their living from the large fish in the sea and trading them for other goods in different countries. Those that live in the more central part of the country trade spices and rare clothes that can handle the extreme heat if the desert days and the extreme cold of the desert nights. Toward the middle of desert is the capital of Shioya, Esmia. Water from the mountains are channeled into the capital making it livable and turning it into an oasis that is as lush as the towns around the Bay of Roses. The capitals is full of flowers and trade companies. Built above the sands of the desert Esmia looks as if it is a stunning while mountain lines with gold, silver, and marble. It shines brightly in the run and moon. The stones of the streets are covered with a luminescent paint that glows a pale lilac purple to light it at night, making night travel from the taverns to home safer. The people in the capital are dressed in fine clothing, rich in both material and culture. The people of the towns and cities of Shioya seem happy and carefree but in truth struggle every day to even make a living. Rules by a greedy tyrant, hungry to expand the kingdom. The ruler pf Shioya taxes his people as a high rate to fuel his 20-year war with the neighboring country, Astela.
Country/kingdom of Astela
Astela is a country of great wealth and pleasure. The land is a mixture of meadow, Forest, and Mountains. It holds no coast but is protected by large snow-covered mountains to the south and east. The mountains are solid and rich with rare gems and metals, unlike the mountains in Skioya. Trading of these gems and metals along with trade of furs and meats allow this country to remain stable despite being landlocked. No real law governs the land except taxes. The people have lose laws that can easily be overlooked if they pay the right price. The capital, Totrielia, of Astela glows white with romantic buildings, pillars line and support everything. Rounded roofs with spired on top support the many 17-foot statues of the rulers of past. Water runs through the middle of the city as a giant river that flows into the lake in front of it. Waterfalls cast down to the different levels of the capital. Statues of fearsome beasts lie everywhere, from the base and top of the waterfalls to in front of every building to decorating the edge of the marble streets. The ruler of Astela is lazy and greedy, only wanting the riches of his land for themselves and only caring for their well-being. The ruler has cast fears of the Shioya ruler into every person that lives in Astela, ensuring their loyalty to their practically ungoverned country. Although the land is rich and beautiful the cities and towns are not, most towns are run down and falling apart. Buildings made from a mixture of wood and stone gives these towns and cities the feeling of a northern most country. These towns and cities are ungraded and the roads are not well kept, stones show the way to each town but with little direction, over grown and sometimes hidden it’s easy to get lost traveling alone from town to town. Murder, plundering, and other crimes are high in this country and everyone fends for themselves. The people are cold and distant, fearful of any new comers and hardly willing to let anyone in to the taverns and bars. Although the towns and cities aren’t guarded the people are strong and crazy enough to want to fight, the army of Astela is made up of nothing more than bloodthirsty criminals who want to expand their murderous reign without having to face possible law.
