Geography
Albarad is a large kingdom in Tala occupying all land west of the Falspire Mountains. The geography of the region is dry and rocky, with scrub land, hills, and low mountains along the eastern border. Water is scarce in Albarad, concentrated almost exclusively along the few rivers that run through the land. The region experiences hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters.
Despite the harsh climate found among the scrub land in Albarad, the Albaren people are productive agriculturalists, with olives, grapes, figs, fibrous grasses, and spices among their chief goods. Cattle, sheep, and pigs native to the region fare well on the land’s dry vegetation, and offer good quality wool, hides, and meat. A large percent of Albarad’s borders are coast land, and so fishing and trade constitute vital industries to the kingdom.
Society
Albaren society is based on wealth and power, with a peerage system beneath a militaristic (and somewhat dictatorial) monarchy. The lowest level of Albaren peerage consists of Barons, who own estates on sizable pieces of land in the Albaren countryside. Above the Barons sit the Earls, who control counties beneath larger swathes of land ruled by Dukes.
The Marchons are a class of nobility found only in large cities of the Albaren. The title can be bestowed upon any noble family in favor with the king: families who own important industries, businesses, plantations, or trading vessels, military commanders, or anyone of sufficient wealth to hold sway in society. In Tradira, Marchons are considered the highest rank of peerage, though in the country a Duke would be seen as having greater status.
It is not uncommon for Dukes to carry hostility toward the Marchons. The Dukes must run their territories and dictate to Earls, while Marchons enjoy their status in the luxury of cities, playing the games of courts and throwing balls while their empires are run by servants and lesser members of the family in the country or on the sea.
The Albaren people generally have olive skin and dark hair and eyes. They are of middling stature. Men often wear mustaches or trimmed beards, while women keep their hair long. Fashion varies widely within the classes of Albaren society. Men of means wear dark suits with tails and colorful cravats often paired with a hat. Women wear gowns of silk in deep shades of red, blue, and green. In the Albaren countryside, linen and wool comprise the general work-wear.
Tradira
Tradira is the capitol of Albarad. It is a large city on the kingdom’s western coast, just across the Kald Straight from the Isle of Sapor. Tradira is home to the wealthiest and most important families in Albarad, and is the political center of the kingdom. Class and title are of the upmost importance to the Albaren, and nowhere is this more prominent than in their greatest city.
Powerful industries form the backbone of Tradira, based in wood, steel, and steam power. The architecture of the city is grand and gothic, with towers, intricate woodwork, narrow windows, and cobbled streets. Horse-drawn carriages form the fastest method of transportation in the city, though rudimentary trolleys can be found linking the Central District to industrial quarters and the docks.
Tradira is split into multiple districts. Most prominent is the Central District—home to the true power and wealth of Albarad. The Central District houses the Dom Regirium, the house of government, and the Dom Creda, the house of faith.
The Dom Regirium is home to the king of Albarad, his family and servants, and high-ranking military personnel, and holds guest rooms for visiting Dukes and foreign ambassadors and tradesmen. It is also the public’s interface with the crown, containing a throne room, a massive dining hall, and meeting rooms.
The Dom Creda is the center of the Albaren church. The building houses the High Prophet of Tradira along with a hand full of highly-esteemed clerics. There are guest rooms for visiting clerics, and chambers for monos and monas in training for civil service (healers, homes of mercy, teachers). Academics of theology and clerics-in-training also reside in this building. The biggest cathedral in Tradira is in the Central District. While most cathedrals in Tradira are sponsored by the wealthy families of Marchons, the Central Cathedral was build by the Church centuries ago.
The Bank of Tradira is also found in the Central District, along with the armory, stables, training grounds, and the Academy—the center of the Albaren military. Promising sons of high-ranking families attend the Academy to learn war strategy, leadership, cavalry, and swordsmanship. The training grounds can host cavalry training as well as arms and marching training.
High-end stores line the streets of the Central District, including retailers of clothing, pottery, glass, rugs, flowers, wine, oil, sheepskin, religious relics, jewelry, furniture, instruments, and pets. One can also find tailors, scribes, and tutors. Drink Houses serve as upscale ‘taverns,’ and have lounge atmospheres, with couches, chairs, and patios. One can buy wine, sweet wine, fortified wine, brandy cocktails, grain cocktails (liquor imported from Diernas or the Kayda), or ale in these establishments.
Just east of the Central District are the neighborhoods of mansions, where the city’s Marchons live. A ball can be found almost every day in these neighborhoods. Marchons throw these balls to demonstrate their status while raising funds for their family’s cathedrals and other causes. Guests pay an entrance fee and may give extra for more privileged seating and food. These balls form the stage for most of Tradira’s political and social maneuvering.
