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Chalcedony, the Desert Country

Chalcedony is the southernmost country on the Ignis continent. It has a population of 3.8 million people and has the least amount of settlements in the world, only having four officially recognized towns. There are notable nomadic tribes, but a majority of the population lives in Zenobia, the academic capital of the country, and Desuna, the largest town. It is connected to the surrounding mountainous countries via magic train. Chalcedony holds a seat within the World Government, often occupied by either the Dean of the Zenobia College or the Head Zenobian Senator.

History

Chalcedony is the southernmost country on the Ignis continent. It has a population of 3.8 million people and has the least amount of settlements in the world, only having four officially recognized towns. There are notable nomadic tribes, but a majority of the population lives in Zenobia, the academic capital of the country, and Desuna, the largest town. It is connected to the surrounding mountainous countries via magic train. Chalcedony holds a seat within the World Government, often occupied by either the Dean of the Zenobia College or the Head Zenobian Senator.

Geography

Nearly 90% of Chalcedony is covered in endless sand dunes. The sun beats down on the constantly shifting sands, and the cold of the night drops far below freezing. Sandstorms occur often to the point that residents equate it to a weekly occurrence. The country is a place where life faces the harshest of conditions, yet has a diverse amount of flora and fauna. Cacti, tumbleweeds, and wildflowers can often be found in clusters where the dunes turn into sandstone settlements. The ruinous remains of the Ancient Civilization also are a hotspot for vines and weeds to grow.

Demographics

As of the annual census estimates, there are around 1,362,000 people living in Desuna. In Zenobia, the population reaches 742,000. Raqote and Tjaru both have approximately 19,500 people living within their borders. The rest of the population are nomadic by nature and therefore cannot be properly counted for the town-wide censuses, though they are included in the country-wide estimate.

Ethnicities

The racial makeup of Chalcedony is 73.4% native, 15.1% Cordilleran, 1.2% Ancients, and 10.3% other ethnicities. Because of the train system established between Cordillera and Chalcedony, the amount of immigrants from the country continues to steadily grow each year.

Economy

Chalcedony’s economy centers on trade, mostly involving goods such as tapestry, fabric, clay creations, and spices. The largest industry in Chalcedony when measured by economical value is the textile industry, though spice trade and the Global Guild circuit are close seconds. The Global Guild circuit connects Chalcedony’s only guild, Sphinx’s Claw, to commissions outside the country. Approximately 70% of the GDP is generated from the aforementioned industries, though it should be noted that tourism spikes during the week long Flower Festival, where nearly 500,000 tourists are estimated to flock to Zenobia and Desuna during the spring rain.

Government

World Government

The World Government is made up of twenty three seats, all of which are filled by the corresponding countries' leaders. Their meetings are rare and only occur in person is a state of emergency is called, though they do have a standard summit that occurs once every five years in which they discuss the state of the world. While relatively new, as the World Government was only established 381 years ago, the power it has is immense. With a single vote, a country could be kicked out of their protection, having their trade cut off entirely and their economy destroyed. On the other hand, the world is further connected based on the equal influences each country's leader is given at the table. No country is considered to have more votes than another, though some opinions will explain that leaders will form specific groups that take advantage of another's situation to benefit their own country.

The Senate

The Senate is based in Zenobia, but they have control over all of Chalcedony's laws and many of the trade deals that occur between official government locations, such as the towns, and the neighboring country Cordillera. The Head Senator is in charge of leading discussions with the other eleven members, all of which have seats voted upon on a rotating six year basis. Every two years, four members' seats are up for election, and the only official requirements to be elected are being a Chalcedony-born citizen, and being able to pass an exam on the country's current and past laws. The Head Senator position is disputed every six years when the current one has finished their term, and only senators who have served at least two years are allowed to be considered for the spot.

Education

In Chalcedony, children are educated until they are around 14 years of age. After that, they either seek out an apprenticeship with a local craftsman, or they assist in the family business. Most children in Zenobia are set to attend the College and graduate when they are around twenty, by which point they ideally have a well-rounded portfolio that allows them to get a job in whatever area they specialized in during their time at school. Others may find they have a talent for magic, and have the opportunity to work as a magic artificer. Many seek out an adventurous job at Sphinx's Claw as it has no formal education requirements, but only few have the ability to remain with the guild for longer than a month.

Religion

While much of the world is atheist, a percentage of Chalcedony citizens still hold upon the beliefs of the Ancients, whether they are decedents of them or not. The Ancients had three main gods, all of which have statues that crop up in certain ruins scattered throughout the desert. There is the God of the People, who was said to lead the development of humanity and culture. The Goddess of Strength is said to have been the precursor of war and natural disaster, as well as survival. The latter of which portrays her in a positive light, showing that, regardless of the obstacles thrown at them, the Ancients still possessed the strength to persevere. The Ruler of the Beyond, and androgynous being that is said to only be perceived at the start and end of a life, is the Creator of Humanity. They are also said to be Death and Judgment. The Ruler of the Beyond is the deity of which very few records remain, as there were barely any to begin with before the Ancients were suddenly gone from the country. The God of the People is the most documented, and some statues of him still remain as monuments in the Zenobian Museum's courtyard. There are rumors he is also the patron god of the Flower Festival, though no official records of such assumption have been found.

Magical Laws

Magic Weapons Guild: Sphinx's Claw

In regards to magical guilds, they are seen as independent entities in the eyes of the government, though if the Senate demands it, Sphinx's Claw will be obliged to obey the orders given. The guild has rules as to what commissions they are allowed to take on; requests such as death upon another person or thievery are considered taboo and would immediately cause the Senate to revoke Sphinx's Claw's status as a guild. The guild is also taxed a certain percentage based on the price placed upon a commission, which the Senate takes and places within the country's national reserves. While some members are notorious for getting into trouble with the law, their actions are labeled as decisions made by the individual rather than the overall guild, so a law was made where any disputes the government has with a person cannot be placed upon their employer.

Key Systems

Food

A majority of the food is imported, though Chalcedony also has a sustainable amount of desert animals, desert plants, etc. in the wild that many people turn into unique cuisine. Places, such as Raqote, Tjaru, and temporary nomadic settlements, where importation is difficult because of either transportation or economical reasons, also consume nearby monsters.

Water

Water is a difficult resource to find in the desert, but towns have special magic systems in place that ensure the population has a sustainable amount for their daily lives. Mages who specialize in ice and water spells also contribute to routinely keeping oases filled and clean.

Energy

A vast majority of Zenobia's energy comes from magical developments made by the College, whereas the other three towns rely heavily on constant input from local mages, wind power, and solar energy. Nomads often carry around magic crystals for their energy needs.

Transportation

A magically run train goes from the desert, namely Desuna and Zenobia, to neighboring mountainous towns in Cordillera and distant ports. Camels and special sand scarabs are standard for traversing the rest of the desert.

Magic

Magic is a part of everyday life for the people on the Ignis continent. In Chalcedony, it is a valuable resource that provides energy, water, and even temperature control for those fortunate enough to have easy access to it. Merchants carry magic crystals that give them water, ice, and heat during the cold nights while they trek across the desert. Zenobian scholars often experiment and research with magic tools and even develop their own. It's common practice for the College to manufacture exemplary tools that are then spread across the continent. The military of Chalcedony, while small, also possesses a few magic wielders. Sphinx's Claw is usually the main source of protection for the country, however, and are a larger force to be reckoned with than the military that the Senate controls.

Notable People

Weapons Master Raizel

As Sphinx's Claw's self-proclaimed showman, Raizel, twenty one years old, is nearly always available to spin tales of the countless adventures he has gone on, be them fictitious or not. While is boasting is off-putting to many, he has put in the effort to reach the level of Weapons Master at the guild, a notoriously challenging position. He is also often asked to be a guest speaker at the College of Zenobia because of his intellect and knowledge about the Ancient Civilization, the destruction of which still remains shrouded in mystery. Labelled as the guild's resident kleptomaniac, Raizel also has the bad habit of getting himself locked up for petty thievery, of which fellow guild mate Phosli has to then bail him out and force him to properly pay for whatever instinctively snatched. No jail has ever been able to keep him in a cell for longer than a night, to the point of which local townspeople fondly place bets on which officer is finally going rid him of his stealing tendencies. Raizel is also the author of Guide to Chalcedony: The Country of Culture, which he published when he was seventeen.

Weapons Master Phosli

Phosli is one of the few female Weapons Masters at Sphinx's Claw, and is in training to become the next Guild Master. As an immigrant from Cordillera, she joined the guild immediately after stepping foot off the Magic Express in Desuna at the age of fifteen. Now twenty two years old, she has taken on countless missions, ranging from standard help around town to fighting fierce monsters terrorizing nomadic settlements. There are numerous interviews and news articles published about her, most of which detail her story of being such a prominent figure in an often male-dominated work force. Her views are that gender has no part in a mage's will to protect their home, whether they were born there or not, and that there is always something to learn from the past, so it should be properly preserved if resources allow it.

Head Senator Mado

The Head Senator is a man who was first appointed to the role nearly a decade ago and continues to be reelected. He is often seen as pro-Sphinx's Claw, though he will acknowledge the wisdom the other senators -who often dispute the purposes of the magic weapons industry- have. Mado has the authority to make use of the military during emergencies as well as start votes to call for the aid of Sphinx's Claw if there is ever a need for it. Mado also leads discussions about current laws, criminal bounties, and any other issues that needs to be settled within the country.

Traditional Dancer Vidya Muhtar

Born and raised in Zenobia, Vidya Muhtar was often exposed to the traditional dancers that performed during the Flower Festival as well as the College's events. At the age of six, she joined a troupe and steadily climbed in popularity. She was a part-time scholar at the College until she graduated when she was twenty four. Now at the age of twenty seven, she continues to perform all across Chalcedony, and in her free time teaches the local children as much as she can before the troupe proceeds to their next venue. She is a beloved icon and firmly believes that knowledge should be accessible to all who wish to learn. Currently, she is in the process of spearheading a community proposal to the Senate to establish public libraries across all four major towns in Chalcedony.