Five years slowly passed while I learned all I could about the world I found myself in. There were 5 known continents on this world, yet most of the world is undiscovered. The continent I found myself on is called Medas. Medas is the centermost continent on Festidia. The majority of the landmass consisted of arable farmland with forests sparsely populating the land. On the northern coast of Medas, the Virfell Slopes dominated the sky, with quite a few peaks reaching above the clouds.

Most of the native species of Festidia were represented on Medas. There were dwarves and elves, along with beast-folk tribes. The dwarves made the Virfell Slopes their home, where plentiful metals and gems could be located. The elves were at home in the forests and grew marvelous cities out of the massive redwoods on the continent. Beast-folk could be found anywhere, but tended to stick to the plains with the humans, or the forests with the elves.

There were many types of beast-folk inhabiting Medas; Cat-folk, Wolf-folk, Bear-folk, Lizard-folk, Centaur, and Naga were some among many. Of all the races on Festidia, the beast-folk rarely fought amongst themselves. They arranged themselves by tribe but were governed by a body of tribal councilors that determined their laws. The beast-folk did not belong to a nation, but all beast-folk adhered to the tribal laws that were decreed by the tribal council.

The elves are a mysterious bunch. They live for centuries and are dedicated to nature and its protection. They did not often speak to the “lesser” races unless their forests were encroached upon. Typically, when that happened, A warning shot would be fired at the trespasser’s feet, and if not heeded the second shot would be fatal. Seldom is a human allowed into the forests they govern. On the rare occasion a human is allowed in, they are bound by a powerful geas to never reveal what they had seen or heard.

Dwarves had a love of precious metals and gemstones. They cities they lovingly built were crafted in the depths of their mountains. Known for their prowess as smiths and jewel crafters, weapons and tools used in both war and peace are traded across all of the continent. From weapons and armor worn by the knights on the battlefield, to simple farm tools the average landowner or serf might use, their forged implements are highly sought after and of all the races on Medas, humans and dwarves are the closest.

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Humans, after all, are the uncontested champions of both the plow and the sword. Neither the smartest nor the strongest race to grace the world, they are one the most innovative and prolific species. Humans make up about 60% of all of the known sapient population of the world. This coupled with their curiosity and keen ability to invent new apparatus to further reduce their reliance on labor, caused a frightening enemy if provoked. Fortunately for the other inhabitants of Festidia, the humans were content to wage war on themselves.

I was born in a city called Elesvale. It is an independent city-state located in the the duchy of Arcglow in the Lisian Kingdom. Elesvale is owned and operated by the Adventurer’s Guild. As such, citizens of Elesvale did not owe any fealty or troops to the kingdom. In exchange, the Adventurer’s Guild is expected to root out any monster problem that crop up in the kingdom. Adventurers were also barred from participating in any political conflicts within the nation. They were however able to voluntarily enlist in the military should a foreign foe seek to conquer the Lisian Kingdom. If they chose to do so, they would be inserted into the military at a suitable rank comparable to their standing in the Adventurer’s Guild.

The Lisian Kingdom is divided into 4 Duchies. The central Duchy, simply called the High Duchy, is ruled by King Arstadt and his council. It is located at the heart of the kingdom and covers one hundred thousand square miles. Much of the High Duchy is covered in farmland.

To the southeast is The Greenwood Duchy. Within its borders, there are huge swaths of forests. This duchy is ruled by the Royal Wood Warden himself, Duke Gaium. The post of Royal Wood Warden is not hereditary. When the Warden retires, a new Warden is appointed by the king and the former Warden spends his remaining days in The Greenwood as an advisor to the new duke.

The southwest of the Lisian Kingdom is where the majority of the trade takes place. Located on shore of The Epeiric Sea, the duchy of Arcglow resides. Duke Renault of Arcglow oversees trade and the navy on behalf of the King. The Duke of Arcglow is cousin to King Arstadt and his estate is, unlike The Greenwood, hereditary.

Upon the northern border of the Lisian Kingdom is The Red Highlands. The Red Highlands are a relatively minor mountain range that nonetheless guard the northern approach into the Lisian Kingdom. Duke Ansel commands and trains the troops who guard the gate against both monsters and men alike. Gems and metals can also be found in the caves of the Red Highland for those brave enough to delve the deeps.

With all this knowledge now secured in my mind, I had a better understanding of the kingdom I found myself in. Once I had relearned how to walk, I spent most of my time in our admittedly sparse library focused on learning the history of the kingdom and Medas as a whole. On market days, I would accompany my mother to the market district to purchase ingredients for her wonderfully tasteful dishes and other sundry items we needed.

It was on one such market day that my father joined us and I discovered how powerful my family truly was.