Glasgem

Glasgem occurs in the two massive islands and surrounding oceans of the Anglion Straight, the majorly explored portion of the world that they inhabit. The two islands are known as Ibanor and Sumerna, populated by two very different races. Ibanor, a more mountainous and slightly volcanic land, is home to the human populations of Anglion, while Sumerna hosts the elven people.

The capital of Ibanor is the massive port city of Castadia, located slightly inland at the mouth of the Espia river, a major waterway for trade and travel through the middle of Ibanor. Towards the northern coasts and eastern half of the continent are many towns and a few larger cities, with the western coast completely untouched due to high elevations and large cliff faces. The southern edges of the continent are highly active volcanic regions, providing many valuable smithing supplies at the dangerous cost to retrieve them.

Sumerna, an environmental opposite of Ibanor, is covered mostly by a flat elevation of warm prairie and some zones of dense forest, the northern most plateau raising in altitude to frozen peaks inhabited by the most resilient of the elf tribes. Tributaries are large and many throughout the land, resulting in occasional marshes in the Sibinul Grasslands, the large prairie land on the north western face of Sumerna. The capital of Sumerna is a religious sanctuary miles away from the western coast, seated on a high rise mesa with a winding path up through the southern side. It is left in charge of a small tribe of elves, unpolitical in nature and host to the summit of elven tribes when deciding on matters of the nation.

In the slightly southern west coast of Sumerna, Ibanor holds a small plot of land under duress from elven political attacks, known as Ford's Landing, named for the human captain that chartered his journey and created his base camp a hundred years prior to the date of events transpiring.

Other notable land formations include the large shrine of Forgery, built one mile inland of Castadia, and the Parisor islands that exist in the ocean rift between the two island nations. A mysterious strip of land known as The Eurica's Fall exists southern of both islands, equivalent to only a small portion of both islands. Little is known about the long island, as the few attempts to reach it were not heard from again, including the primary attempt by The Eurica Flagship of Ibanor.

The politics of Ibanor and Sumerna are complicated and completely isolated from each other, though now under pressure to cooperate or else start a racial war between the nations. The surfacing applications of the glasgem ore has stirred many political ambitions to strengthen the empire.

Ibanor holds a matriach at the Darksteel Citadel in Castadia, ruling through female leaders for the last hundred years just prior to the establishment of Ford's Landing. Though it is not a requirement, it has become a followed tradition through the recent generations to prime the first born daughter for a future as queen, leaving the men of the royal family to indulge in other activities; often in a promiscuous or militaristic persuasion.

The current regime is imperial, under the direction of Queen Alara whom has shown signs of encroaching on Sumernan land from Ford's Landing. The queen hosts a private council of anonymous advisors at her discretion, but for the most part is a shadowy operation running on the queen's whim.

Contrasted to Ibaron, the Elven tribes utilize the Stardust Mesa to hold congregations of the powerful tribes during times of unrest. Normally, each tribe is free to maintain its boundaries within the island and run independently of other influence with the exception of trade. After a lengthy process, the commune can be called at which members from all tribes may proceed to Stardust Mesa for deliberation. Often, the leader of the council will either be the original chieftain to request the gathering, or most commonly the previous leader to lead the previous summits. Such organization leaves Sumerna acting as independent states, incapable of suddenly response, but adaptable to many forms of oppression. The last summit leader was the Chieftain of the large tribe Sudavar.

The focus of current political motivation, the glasgem ore. Found recently along the southern ridges of Ibanor, mining operations have been disrupted due to increasing volcanic activity, speculation that a wide eruption could engulf and destroy all known deposits. Shortly after, more deposits were unearthed in Sumerna, in the jurisdictions of several different tribes, most of which large and powerful. Current motivations are to isolate Ibaron nationals from the ore to limit growth of power, while Sumernan's are still unable to utilize the ore's characteristics and many seek to prevent their growing understanding.

The glasgem ore has been found to have unique traits, making them capable of storing large amounts of energy within a very small crystalline structure. Heat, light, and even traces of physical movement have been shown to store in the crystals (after the ore is run through a refined smelting process), which respond by changing their microstructure to resemble the degree of power held inside.