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Loftia

Page history last edited by PBworks 17 years, 1 month ago

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Loftia

 

The north-central region of Zonardia, named after one of the original twins born from a copulation between a white dragon and King Zonard, who were flung back in time to the dawn of Battal. The capital city is Rainbow Hollow, which is presided over by a matrilineal royal family--typically a council of young women that take seats on a rotating basis.

 

Loftia, the daughter of Zonard, was known for her great beauty and pragmatic wisdom. The region which bears her name, then, is somewhat unsurprisingly the most beautiful region in all of Zonardia. The denizens of Loftia are both wiser and more arrogant than the people of Gerr, while actually taking pity on the people of Enda when they're not busy mocking their lack of culture or gemstones.

 

Aside from tourism to the shrine of the Star Dragon's Heart, the key to Loftia's wealth is the Gemerald Mines in the Helgra Mountain Range at the west of Loftia. The range also receives many visitors to Big Thunder Mountain--a mountain of entertainment even more great and glorious than Joy Park in its heyday--and to a lesser extent, Chilly Willy Peak, a cultural center for certain eros-inspired cultists. Most of Loftia's population lives in the Central Basin, the location of the gem-encrusted, canal-built capital of Rainbow Hollow as well as many significant agricultural communities.

 

In the Zonardian Civil War chronicled in the Quasar Riders of Zonardia series, Loftia formed the bulk of the alliance in opposition to the machinations of Empress Corvax. The Rainbow Wings, Loftia's finest Quasar Riders, played a particularly significant role in ending the war, as did Princess Enya Featherlight, a member of the royal council and direct descendant of Loftia herself. After the Civil War ended, Gerr was annexed by Loftia. It answered to the Loftian royal family, but handled local problems through a restored Republic Senate.

 

The Council

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Loftia's government is that it consists--uniquely in Battal and perhaps the universe--exclusively of young women between the ages of 14 and 29.

 

To become a member of the council, one must merely provide proof of heritage--all members must be direct matrilineal descendents of Loftia--and wait one's turn. In theory, one may apply at any time, but because the number of female descendant of Loftia is great, in practice applications are usually tendered at the moment of a female child's birth. None may serve on the council for more than 10 years, and never before their 14th birthday or after their 30th. The size of the council has varied throughout Loftia's history, as the council has the power to increase or decrease its numbers by vote.

 

Men of all ages have had varying degrees of success attempting to seduce council members and subvert the will of the women, but it turns out that Loftian men, at least, are not nearly so clever as they think they are. Even the youngest council members tend to make up in idealism what they might lack in wisdom. The wisewomen of Loftia take very seriously the education and upbringing of their future rulers.

 

The Culture

The result of having such a unique government has not always been predictable, although the fanciful, glittering construction and stunningly beautiful architecture of the city does lend itself to certain stereotypical assumptions (few cities are so draped with silk, decorated with gemstones, littered with sculptures, or choked with shopping centers). Certainly the society is a peace-loving, cultured, and educated one. It is also rather insular, however, with the majority of individuals in the Central Basin refusing to believe that they live on a floating continent, despite the fact that the Star Dragon's Heart that conducted the Presundering sits in a temple in the center of their capital city, pouring Stream energy out its opalescent skin.

 

Gender roles in Loftia are also impacted by the system of government, with women making most decisions, large or small, and enjoying significant legal protections while men occasionally grumble that they deserve better. However, the women of Loftia usually treat well and take great pride in their men, who typically execute their less meaningful or fulfilling duties of construction, economic and mercantile development, and administrative oversight with pride and precision while the women see to the more important tasks of raising and educating children and conducting international diplomacy. Both genders contribute equally to military operations, when necessary, but generally the military is kept to a minimum.

 

The wealth of Loftia also plays a role in culture, creating a tendency toward garish opulence. It has been suggested that if the Gemerald Mines were to run dry, Loftia's economy and government would collapse. Readers with the hindsight of comprehensive continuity know that this never happened and so the point was moot.

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