Highguard territories
Overview
The territories of Highguard run along the length of the river Couros; from the Necropolis at the river’s mouth, past the rich and fertile fields and plains to holy Bastion, through the Great Forest and up into the mountains of Cuna where the river has its source.
Bastion
After the end of the civil war, Bastion became the heart of a reborn nation. The beautiful rolling plains are dotted with woodlands and carefully maintained parks, and with great stone chapterhouses that date back to the first years of the Revelation. Bastion presents the calm, serene visage of the Highborn to the world. During the founding of the Empire, Bastion very nearly became the "official" capital of the Empire in 3YE; at the last minute the Senate decided to hold their quarterly gatherings in Anvil instead.
The largest settlement in Highguard is found here - Bastion, the White City. Bastion is also seen as the heart of the Way; followers all over the world look to it for guidance and it is a place of pilgrimage for the faithful. .
When Reikos fell to the [{Druj]], Bastion suddenly found itself on the front lines. Many of the chapterhouses in the northern regions in particular still have a strong military aspect, although now that Reikos has been liberated this may change.
Casinea
In Highguard's northwest, Casinea is an old and wealthy territory and the site of the town of Anvil, the political heart of the Empire. Given its central position, it should come as no surprise to learn that Casinea is the Imperial territory that has suffered the least chaos and disruption over the centuries since the formation of the Empire - indeed since the end of the Highborn civil war.
The hills are rich with marble and granite quarries. Gold, silver, weltsilver, tempest jade and precious stones have been mined here for centuries. Several wealthy chapters protect the quarries and mines to ensure the protection of the vital assets against barbarians.
Necropolis
Necropolis is a land of sorrow, first and foremost. Poets wax lyrical about the sad grandeur of the landscape, but even the least sensitive sometimes have to suppress a cold realisation of their own mortality. Yet the sorrow of Necropolis is tempered with the knowledge that all things pass - that sorrows teach valuable lessons, and that loss is part of life. Even the most bustling chapterhouse in Necropolis will contain some memento mori, some little touch that is ignored consciously but that subconsciously reminds them every day that people die.
The first Highborn settled along the coast of the Bay of Catazar here, driving out the orcs to conquer the territory. They called the territory Pharos, and built a great city here to serve as their capital. The city of Pharos was burnt to the ground during the civil war between the patricians and the chapters, then rebuilt as a memorial to all that had been lost - the Necropolis. Today, the great cemetery holds the mortal remains of some of the greatest Imperial citizens who ever lived - the heroes and Thrones who helped for the Empire..
Reikos
This formerly peaceful stretch of the Couros river was also home to pleasure gardens, parks and country estates. It became wealthy thanks to the bounty of stone and wood from the Vigilant Swan and the Great Forest; herbs from the Gardens of Chalcis; trade with Therunin and Morrow; and from the beauty that made it a favourite place for Imperial citizens from across the Empire to convalesce after illness, or to spend time away for the cares of everyday life. Then the Druj came, and after them the merciless rejuvenating power of the eternal Llofir.
Today, Reikos is slowly being rebuilt. Liberated from the orcs, dramatically changed by Spring magic, the Highborn strive to recapture something of Reikos' former glory and build a proud future for those who survived the horrors of the Druj occupation.
Highborn Territories in Play
Every character in Empire has a home territory - which is the territory where your personal resource is located. The decision is part of character creation, and is as easy as picking the right territory from a drop down menu. As a Highborn character, you have free choice of which of the four territories you want to be from. Most Highborn are part of a chapter, which is based at a chapterhouse - so you probably all want to be from the same territory. If you make a mistake during character creation an e-mail can easily sort that out. After you start playing your character, however, changing your home territory is a little more complicated - it costs money, and if you have upgraded your personal resource you may lose out - so ideally you want to get your territory right before the game begins.
Highguard elections are only partially based on considerations of territory. Who the senator for each territory is is decided by the National Assembly - every Highborn character with a congregation can take part - but the actual candidates are put forward by the chapters based in the territory that is being elected so where you are from can still effect your ability to take part in politics.
You don't need to declare which region you live in, but it's often useful for your chapter to be in a specific location for purposes of plot, and for making the game world feel more real. You might live in or near one of the established settlements, or your chapterhouse could be built anywhere in the territory - the named villages and towns are by no means the only settlements in Highguard. Your character background, or your group background, can include a few details about your home if you like, and many chapterhouses come with their own small settlement that looks to them for protection and guidance.
Each of the four territories has certain themes, which are often used as a starting point when plot writers create plot. Furthermore, certain personal resources lend themselves to certain territories better than others.
Being from Bastion
Bastion is about faith and the future. The most important settlement is without doubt the city that shares its name with the territory - the White City of Bastion. There is something of an echo of the real-world Vatican about the White City - it is the center of a world-wide faith after all. It's also a politically charged place - the Highborn see themselves as the shepherds of human destiny after all, and not everyone agrees as to where that destiny might lead.
Being from Casinea
Casinea is about TBC and tradition. The most important settlement in Casinea is without doubt Anvil - the political heart of the entire Empire.
Being from Necropolis
Necropolis is about the past and about memory. The Necropolis itself is the heart of the territory, and a reminder of the dangers of a lack of Vigilance can lead to. After all, the Necropolis was once Pharos - the capital of the Highborn - until it was destroyed by a civil war that grew out of corruption, indolence, and arrogance.
Being from Reikos
Reikos is about loss and new beginnings. The largest remaining settlement in Reikos is High Chalcis, but it is a shadow of its former self. For fourteen years, it was occupied by the Druj orcs - orcs known for their cruelty. The people were mercilessly dominated, enslaved, forced to work until they dropped, and slaughtered if they showed the slightest sign of rebellion. Hundreds were killed as an example, or a threat, or on a whim. The territory itself was ravaged from one end to another, ruined, and rebuilt in as a corrupt mirror of what it had once been. After the liberation, the signs of the occupation were washed away by the tide of Llofir's magic, but the scars on the souls and memories of those who experienced them first hand will not be healed so easily.