A Brief Encyclopedia of the Chronicles of Sacrifice

Midlands

The midlands is a smaller region of large islands, founded mostly by humans long ago and erving as a go-between for the eastern and western hemispheres. An extraordinary amount of trade travels through this region, fueling the entire economy of the islands through fees and taxes. These small pseudo-nations were founded for the express purpose of trade.

While each is individual, they were born of necessity and business, and hold strong commitments to one another in support of mutual defense, trade, and business. Each microstate is named simply after the one major city it holds, as outside of those, there are mainly just small towns that support land travel and trade. While circles were used in this map for the major cities, these cities do tend to populate in the mark of around four to five million, and expand a great deal outward.

The islands' climates are conducive to a few types of crops and cattle, but due to the international nature of traffic, obtaining food is easy, making the Midlands the most multicultural societies in the world. They receive spices and seasonings, meats, plants, and other consumables from all over, making their food world-renown for excellence and imagination. 

Outside of trade, most world-travellers also go through the Midlands, as it is far easier to travel to the islands and then onward than to attempt to travel through the Shallow Sea with its lack of hospitable islands. Travellers to and from different places embark and disembark from the region with the relevant name; Individuals going to Hase or coming from Hase arrive and depart through Hase Point, for example. The one minor exception is that people going to Stürmischer Archipel will travel from Point West if coming from the eastern hemisphere. Crossover is used for people travelling within the islands.

While one might think living in the Midlands is an easy life, it is actually fast-paced, cut-throat, and full of danger. The speed of trade directly determines the money to be made, and competition is fierce. Businesses rise and fall as frequently as nations do in Hase, often put up by the same powers seeking influence as the kingdoms and such in Hase.

The danger comes from when foreign powers seek to damage each other economically in a war, and send operatives or forces to destroy shipping or supply lines that go through the Midlands. In the past, ships have been sunk in-harbor or just outside the harbor, killing dozens and restricting the travel of goods. For this reason, the Midlands became an expert nation in personal security. While they would not win any direct conflict, they are masters of preventing sabotage and espionage within their nations.