# Introduction The Copatica Hills is a region of the Central Trifecta in [[Elphyne]]. These foothills are known for their colorful mineral springs, hence their name. # Statistics - Capital: [[Iban]] - Land Area: 52,000 sq.km - Population: 100,000 - Military force: 5 battalions (Iban; private armies for the five companies) # Climate ## Landscape The area is mostly **chaparral**, filled with evergreen vegetation that keeps the region feeling locked in time, except during **Ogair**, where the snowfall mixes white in with the sea of green. ## Fauna Dragonlings are common, but usually considered more annoyances than threats by the experienced travelers that walk these roads. Low dragons are uncommon, but seen on a regular enough basis that most travelers are wary of their possibility. The lack of permanent settlements in the area makes low dragons more plentiful, and they are only kept in check by the fact that Copatica Hills is a constant stream of newfound adventurers, keen on slaying their first dragon. ## Weather The seasons are rather mild. **Doth** is tolerable by most standards, and while the cold can bite, the most basic precautions should prevent the elements from turning deadly. # Regional History # History For most of history, the **Copatica Hills** have simply been a place travelers pass through on their way from the North Trifecta to the South. The mountains seemed barren, and the unsuitability of large scale farming in the soil left the land to its own purposes. At some point, trading centers and stables were set up along the common route of travel, and a few minor settlements were built nearby. It was only around this time that the mineral springs were found in the hills. It wouldn't be long after where deep caves were found, where mineshafts could dig directly into the mountain. These caves went unexplored for a long time, until the Himinjoðyr expanded north, and founded the city of **Iban**. # Social Class ## Proletariat The proletariat of **Iban** are primarily miners and merchants. The rest of the proletariat in the region are various merchants and tavern keepers that mark the common path through the land. ## Bourgeoisie The bourgeoisie of the area are all in **Iban**. The city isn't the largest, and the few families that make up the scene in Iban are either very down to earth, or highly insecure and thus extremely pompous. ## Maverick With long paths between settlements, the only criminal activity that really is available is highway robbery. There are some swindlers, but usually they move on to more populated areas, for juicier targets. # Social Circles ## Martial **Copatica Hills**, with the high traffic of merchants and relatively low danger of wild beasts allows thieves to thrive. The Trifecta adventuring circuit alleviates some of those concerns, but more dedicated thieves have begun impersonating adventurers to catch others unaware. Ishiate Inn, already a common spot for new adventurers to start their journey, has begun registering adventuring teams in the region, with the political backing of Iban. ## Art and Culture **Iban**'s culture is mostly dvergen in nature, reflecting the beliefs from the [[Himinjoðyr]]. There is an elven influence in the area, but the influence is rather weak. The thematic color of the area is muddy rainbow, with blue undertones, to reflect and celebrate the mineral springs in the **Copatica Hills**, but the town of [[Copatica]] has been on the decline for years and very few people go out of their way to see the springs anymore. ## Mercantile Most of **Iban**'s trading is done with [[Luminova]] to the north and [[Narog]] to the south. Otherwise, **Copatica Hills** has remained a place where the proletariat have learned to make their own things, and the aristocrats have learned to do without anything they don't specifically order. ## Industrial **Iban** is the sole point of industry in the **Copatica Hills**, and it is very much a mining town, through and through. A majority of the citizens are dvergr mining workers, and there are five mining companies that share the town, each paranoid about their stakes crossing paths. They have a strained truce, where they allow representatives from the other companies make tours of each other's progress, determined to know they are in no danger of crossing paths. They fix prices and they keep each other from formally merging with political intrigue. There isn't much else to do for the bourgeoise, so the industrial drama also serves as their entertainment. ## Law and Order While **Iban** is a lawful place, under the control of the **Himinjoðyr**, the rest of **Copatica Hills** is mostly lawless. Travelers on the road may face multiple views on justice, depending on the adventurers they come across, and rely on the common laws of [[Xenia]] to be upheld in order to avoid conflict. ## Community In **Iban**, the community is divided into six distinct districts, each belonging to a different company, with the last one instead being a more neutral space, where the government is set up. Worker rights have been eroding for years, but there is still a grassroots union movement in the sixth district. While the union has no sway, it has survived attack after attack from the five mining companies, who have found that the union is more successful when it is threatened. Therefore, the companies have collectively agreed to ignore the union, which spends its time trying to maintain relevance. In desperation, they have begun considering direct action and sabotage, and are actively recruiting Kobolds to join their ranks. In **Copatica**, the community has been dying for years. The local monastery and the colorful mineral springs nearby used to be tourist attractions in another age, but visitors have dried up. The population is aging and the few younger people are moving away, often leaving to be adventurers, and never returning. In [[Welligkeit]], the community has maintained steady apace, despite the constant drain of youth to the relatively new Ishiate Inn's siren song. Plenty of would-be adventurers end up retiring soon after the loss of a friend to a dragonling or to bandits, and they often wind up in places like **Welligkeit**, where the fishing and the harbor work is tough, but the nature of the job is much safer. In a town full of would-be adventurers, there are plenty of those who would kill to maintain the quiet life of their town. Ishiate Inn has slowly become a stained name to their people, but the local youth still run off for a week or two so they can watch the fights and the bar crawls, always returning with stories to tell their friends. ## Academia **Copatica Hills** has little academia life. There is a small **Luminova** research branch in Iban, but the only unique place of learning would be **Copatica Monastery**, where there is an extensive library and an archive of the region's limited history. # Locations ## Cities and Towns - [[Iban]] - [[Copatica]] - [[Welligkeit]] ## Landmarks - [[Copatica Springs]], the largest and most colorful of the mineral springs in these hills - ## Other - [[Copatica Monastery]] - [[Ishiate Inn]]