Morvalis is a nation of dark beauty, where life amongst death is a way of life for the people who live there. The people of Morvalis gather in tight-knit communities founded on tradition and indulge in life’s wonders and luxuries while using vast workforces of undead creatures to reap the bountiful but dangerous land for resources.
In Morvalis, the living make the most of their time whilst they can. The people are bold, gregarious, emotional and lavish in their manner. They tend to be very artistic or passionate people who have the free time to dedicate themselves to their interests. This love of life is fueled by a cultural acceptance that when your time comes your body, and perhaps even your soul, will become a tool to be used by the Gravecallers to further Morvalis’ prosperity.
Morvalis is a nation of unexpected contrast – a place that is dripping in Death but that celebrates and embraces Life as well.
The founders of Morvalis did not originate there; they travelled into the valley of death to start new lives, many from the cosmopolitan city-state of Hammerstadt. The exact reasoning for their exodus has been lost to time, and more recently to the Fading, but there are remaining snippets that hint at religious and magical schisms, political disagreements and breaking of alliances that led to the precursors of the nation of Morvalis setting out on their own to claim a home. Finding a long-abandoned city destroyed long ago by natural disaster on the far side of the continent beyond Kairos and what would eventually become Syradonia, the founders built Morvalis in this literal ghost town.
The dead walk Morvalis and Athrian magic is extremely common. While others may deride this form of magic as “necromancy”, this is insulting and reductive to Morvalians, who consider the use of Shades from the Athria sphere as an act of great mercy. These echos of lives lived are trapped forever in the amethyst fields of the Athria sphere of magic which can create nothing new of its own but instead holds a shape of the memory of the dead mortals from our plane. Although these Shades are not the souls of the dead, they are a kind of mirror image to the souls who have passed on to the Gods – and are equally as deserving of respite. By empowering corpses with these Shades and giving them a place in society where they can still feel the sun on their face, they see themselves as liberators in some small way, not enslavers of the dead.
Geography
Morvalis is a dark land, surrounded by tall impassable mountains. The whole nation is built within one large valley that connects to Syradonia and no others, giving it a strong defensive location but limiting its trade potential. Within this great valley, the landscape is predominately hills and forests, shaped between the great fangs of the Lykerstane Mountains and frequently cloaked in their shadows.
The cold air of these tall, black, mountains and the icy waters that flow from their peaks and beneath the earth, has sparked a considerable concentration of Athrian Magic that has infused with the land itself. Some scholars believe this is purely because of the two Spheres of Magic merging, whilst others believe that the Lykerstane Mountains themselves hold some dark power and their shadow is responsible. Leylines of Athrian Magic have been discovered in Morvalis, though whether these were here before or manifested because of the speculated causes is an unanswered question.
Morvalis has three major cities, which were founded on ancient necropolis grounds, and other settlements tend to be quite spread out from each other. A great many of the major buildings that the nation of Morvalis calls home began their life as ancient houses of death – crypts, tombs, vaults and the like – and evidence of that is everywhere. Made of a dark stone that is not common to the area, these structures are overly-ornate, favour grand arches and sweeping balconies, whole groupings of gargoyles and imps arrayed in stone, and huge, heavy stone doors.
Nocturne
A city built around a huge necropolis, and by far the oldest of the cities of Morvalis. The city is known for its towering spires and gothic architecture, with buildings that almost seem to defy gravity as they reach towards the stars in an almost over-the-top fashion. This city is also the most secure, as the city that is nestled most snugly against the end of the vast valley that is home to Morvalis. It tends towards aloofness as a result; people from Nocturne are far from combat, from uncertainty, and have the most grand buildings, the most high-class establishments, and so on. It is a city of culture, of art, and a holiday destination for those in other cities.
One standout feature of Nocturne is The Eternal Gallery, an immense and multi-level art gallery built into the side of a cliff. It showcases works from many – not just works of physical art, but performances, workshops, taste-tests and private audiences. Exhibitions change regularly; some spaces move between different patrons or artists, while others have been made available to the same Family for decades, always showing something new.
The Whispering Market is one of a series of night-markets that operate in the shadows of the grand spires. This market in particular has a peculiar draw; there, merchants sell art supplies that are said to be infused with essence from the necropolis – inks and paints that are said to capture memories, canvases that can show different images based on a viewer’s deepest fears, and the like. Whether this is true has done nothing to dampen the tourist trade to the area.
Art has a constant home in Nocturne, including song; Chorister’s Hall is a vast amphitheatre, part of the original construction of ancient ruins, where the acoustics are considered to be so perfect that performers claim they can hear the echoes of every performance ever given there, creating layers of ghostly harmonies. It is not unknown for long-dead performers to appear on playbills as supporting a newer act, with aficionados claiming they can, indeed, hear their voices among the chorus.
Revenant’s Respite
A city that is best known for its hot springs, being as near as it is to the nation of Syradonia – well-known for its abundance of volcanically hot water. It is known for its decadent bathhouses and centres of healing – both physical and mental. The city is a popular destination for any seeking rejuvenation. However, these are very much one facet of the city; much trade comes through the Respite, particularly from Syradonia, and it is known for its vibrant marketplaces, its colleges of magic, and its nightlife. Revenant’s Respite is a place where you can let your hair down, by the standards of Morvalis.
Although the Respite is known for its bath-houses, no living person would concern themselves with staffing such a place. Instead, bath-houses, places of massage, hair and beauty treatments that do not require any innovation, are all staffed by those brought back by necromantic means – cleaned of flesh and varnished as shining skeletons. There are several reasons for this; a massage given by hands that can feel no discomfort and never tire. Additionally, plans discussed in front of the undead are secret, and cannot be overheard – an elevated form of standard bath-house etiquette.
A standout feature of this city is The House of Colours. Made almost entirely of enchanted crystal, this is one of the largest and most well-known bathhouses in Revenant’s Respite. Its name comes from the magical effect on the crystal panes that make up both its outer walls and inner divides; the emotions and moods of those nearby give it colour, with negative emotions tending towards the blue end of the spectrum and positive emotions tending towards the red end.
The Necroarcanum is a repository of memories belonging to those who have passed on – great philosophers, creatives, orators. Their skulls are stored here, the spark of life long gone, but their thoughts and memories are imprinted on the bone. Those who wish can book out time with a person, asking questions of them safe in the knowledge that they cannot lie or hide things. Since the Fading, many of these skulls have ceased to reply when called, causing some to theorise that they are being silenced or repressed from giving over the knowledge they hold.
Revenant’s Respite is home to several Vapour Gardens, terraced gardens where hot springs create perpetual mists that allow for the growth of rare plants. Although they are mostly tended by the undead, dealing with the menial tasks required to keep such rare blooms alive, humans are behind the cultivation. These gardens cannot be moved, of course, but flowers often fetch a hefty price at market, and more so if treated with magic that prevents their decay.
Stormfront’s Vigil
Situated in the most open-country area of Morvalis, approximately in the middle of the great arms of the Lykerstane Mountains, the Vigil is by far the most militarily-oriented city. This city bears the brunt of external threats, and houses the nation’s primary defense forces, training facilities, manufactories, and so on. Unlike the other cities, it is built more horizontally than vertically, with thick walls and interconnected fortifications that form a labyrinth-like structure in and around the same ancient burial-grounds that stood here when the Morvalians found the place.
The city is known for its more practical approach to magic, focusing on defensive and offensive training rather than the artistic applications seen in Nocturne or the therapeutic uses that Revenant’s Respite is known for.
The Shrouded Rock Academy is a famous sight in the city, as it is one of the few exceptions to the general rule surrounding the Shroud. While the Shroud does not linger long in built-up areas, or is even repelled by some unseen or unfelt facet of civilization, the Academy – situated on the very edge of the city, away from other structures – seems to act as a magnet for the magical fog. This is theorised to be due to the high quantities of magic that are cast there in the pursuit of training, as the Shrouded Rock is by far the most prestigious training site for magic of all kinds. Special care must be taken here, though, as the usual warnings that apply to the Shroud manifest here – students with a weaker constitution can find that the oppression it brings on can be too much. It is not a matter of physical strength – graduates of the Shrouded Rock have strength in their spirit, in their mind and in their soul.
Wall Markets are the collective name for the small niches that house stalls all along the walls of the Vigil. Each one has an arch as a roof, the strong physical structure providing support for the tonnes of carved stone that make up the wall, and has a stone door that can be brought down to seal it off in case of attack. In this way, the Wall Markets can operate as shelters for nearby homes and anyone in need of shelter, from anything from wild creatures, enemy forces, or simply ferocious weather.
Barracks Lane is so called because it leads to the permanent training camp where Morvalis prepares its martial forces. Here it is that the organised armed forces of Morvalis are trained, and here also, citizens of Morvalis are encouraged to spend time working on their martial skills and sharing those skills with others. Anyone can access the facilities, and more than one person uses the euphemism ‘I’m just going down Barracks Lane’ or similar to describe the more general act of martial training. More than one enterprising tavern-owner has set themselves up in the city with an establishment called ‘Barack Slain’, ‘Barracks Lain’, ‘Barax Layne’ and so on, lending a whole other meaning to the common phrase.
The Charnel Road
This major trade road travels through Morvalis and connects to the other Nations via Syradonia. It is a major lifeline to Morvalis and it is heavily patrolled by Bloodshades and Dreadguard. For these archetypes, it is steady work, moderately-well rewarded, but solitary and constantly-moving.