Table of content
Settlements
The world of Haze is filled with many great cities that strongly reflect the climate and culture of the region and its inhabitants. To see descriptions of the cities’, go to Realms of Misteria. All sattlements are separated from each other by great distance which further strengthens their identity. Many of them are located in places that rarely ever experience mists, making living outside of them a choice that only few make willingly. Road houses often resemble small fortresses. Beside them and some odd villages, only wild tribes live outside of the main settlements.
The mist
There is nothing more dangerous in the whole continent than magical fogs. Often simply called “mist”, contrary to its non-magical counterpart, it is not influenced by the wind and thus is unpredictable and difficult to avoid. It can apper out of nowhere and without any warning but mostly it travels like a cloud. It is believed that Rass, God of Magic, made it out of spite for the Goddess of Winds, Ria. This magical phenomenon is relatively common, appearing daily in some regions like Mebelands and the northern part of Nasara forest, and weekly in other places.
Inside the fog, there is a shimmering, multicoloured substance that leaves crystallized residue on everything that it comes in contact with. It is called glimmer, a soft opalizing salt that can be collected for various purposes. Commonly used as a stimulant by both rich and poor, similar to coffee in strength, it is available everywhere and for relatively cheap. Interestingly, there are no harmful effects from inhaling the fog, with most creatures feeling energized because of the glimmer in it.
Mist affects the fabric of reality. When they come in contact with materials, they react by changing their physical properties. Metals can become softer or harder, wood can twist, leather can stiffen, and so on. Some of the substances can levitate, shine or smoulder, with a few even exploding. Such changes in properties of materials often couse problems for machines, but they can also be utilised to make useful machinery and tools. There are vessels that can fly atop the mist allowing for easy transport, crystals that illuminate the misty environments, devices like mills and dams that are powered by the movement of the fog, and ores that heat and cool in the magical surroundings. All of these inventions make life in the fog easier, but not risk-free.
Mistborn creatures
In every part of Misteria, there are creatures that live permanently in the fog, making it their moving habitat. Creatures commonly known as mistborn, like gliders and mist catchers, can be found with diverse changes across the whole continent, and the danger posed by them should not be underestimated, as they are hostile towards anything alive. Mistborn creatures are known to target travellers in camps and convoys, as for them, they are easy prey.
If fog covers the city, generally everyone seeks shelter inside and keeps quiet if possible, as mist catchers are known to swoop in and snatch small animals and even younglings. Many children are taught from a young age that if they venture into the mist alone, they will be taken away. Gliders sometimes crash into roofs and break windows, but that is not a problem compared to festuses, who can bulldoze whole buildings with their massive bodies. In the aftermath of a mist passing through the city, there is always something to be fixed and glimmer to be swiped or collected, with occasional fires and flooding.
To see the descriptions of all the Mistborn creatures see the beastiary.
Folk of the world
Generally, folk who live in the cities can be divided into a couple of categories. Based on the things they do and how much they travel, we can talk about the common people, adventurers, merchants and intellectuals. Most folk are born into the simple life of a miner, farmer, or usually non-lethally endangered worker. They keep the cities running and produce the majority of common goods like ores, food, and crystals. The more arduous products, like textiles, gems, potions, hex, perfumes or even simple artefacts, are manufactured in guilds and small workshops. Adventurers are perhaps the most interesting folk, but time to meet them is limited as they come and go, in more than one way. They are responsible for finding the lost and forgotten treasures that hold the knowledge of the past.
There are merchants that move everything along the trade routes of the continent to the most distant corners of the world. They employ adventurers for protection and often finance expeditions themselves. Intellectuals and artisan types can also be found everywhere looking for the next big thing. They consist of inventors, scholars, clergy, alchemists, magicians, automators, and everyone who looks for innovations and discoveries. There is also aristocracy and other wealthy folk who organise the intricate movements of the world, mostly for their gain, but that place is out of reach for the average person, as they are only cogs in the more complex machine.
Land travel
Along the numerous roads folk can travel on land. Vehicles can reach speeds between 5 and 15 miles per hour, allowing them to travel between the cities relatively fast, assuming that there is a road. Local authorities maintain highways between towns as good as they can, asking for a toll at their gate. Scientifically orientated cities employ engineers to make machines for road maintenance, with the downside of them being closed for about a fourth of the time for maintenance. Some less technical towns have wizards who transform the land for vehicle usage, but these routes are known to be of lower quality, forcing travellers to go slower. Those that think of going by foot should know that opportunistic thieves, mistborn and fauna are out there to get you, so it is better to assemble a party for the duration of your travel.
Story of a sighting of a guy whose horse was taken by the festus
In situations where roads are absent, and the terrain poses challenges, some individuals opt for mounts, which can reach locations inaccessible to vehicles. Numerous regions, including the Wild Lands, Orange Desert, mountains of Astoria and swamps, lack roads due to the demanding terrain. Residents of Burgos, Worgos, and various islands actively choose to utilise animals, as distance is usually short. Horse-drawn carriages and other animal-pulled vehicles are commonly employed by locals for short-distance transportation. However, during “foggy” conditions, these using mounts are more susceptible to attacks compared to those using vehicles.
Maritime transport
A substantial part of all travel and trade happens via maritime routes, with many ports along the shore. Those who have money can stock up on goods and replenish their supplies before a long voyage. While most ports do not require any permits for entry, two-masted ships and bigger are typically recorded in the port’s official records. Some ships serving under a company name have agreements with ports as they travel along general routes, while others may be banned from certain ports due to long-forgotten offences. Whatever the case might be, if you stay in the port, there is always a fee to be paid.
As the majority of ships that travel on the seas can reach the speed of 10 knots (in perfect conditions), most travels take around a week, with the exception of vessels equipped with engines that can sail with the speed of up to 20 knots. Sea voyages are dangerous and take a lot of experience to guarantee the safety of both cargo and crew. Pirates and other marine raiders with a large net of informants wait at every turn to ambush vessels with expensive cargo, which forces merchants to be sufficiently armed for self-defense. Even those who possess ships equipped with engines should not celebrate, as pirates are more interested in a takeover of such vessels than the cargo on-board. But rogue ships are not the only dangers in the open sea. The fickle waters hide many shoals and rocks that can tear the hulls apart, and the unforgiving winds can easily throw the ship off course. Even if no pirates appear, mist can always arrive at your bow, and that is where sailors’ skills are tested. In general, the water trade is lucrative and adequately dangerous.
Aviation
While there exist a handful of airborne vehicles, such as blimps and balloons and some concept gliders, they tend to be ludicrously expensive. The considerable cost and the challenge of acquiring the necessary materials, combined with the requirement for skilled mechanics and experienced wind mages to operate them, contribute to their high price point. Maintenance is a complex endeavour due to the relatively new and untested technology, necessitating thorough research for each repair. Most airborne vehicles can be found in Astoria, where the demanding mountainous terrain and relatively short distances make them somewhat practical, and in the Land of Nur, where the lack of roads, the abundance of wind mages, and access to materials make them relatively popular.