Lorado
Lorado is a land defined by extremes. Deserts stretch to the south and west, overgrown jungles press in from the east, and snow-capped mountains rise above it all. Looks are deceiving throughout: the green in the distance is death in the form of encroaching Overgrowth, and the ash drifting on the wind signals not destruction but the Burners' annual reclamation of jungle land. The people seem hard as stone because that is what they have known, but they carry a kindness and a desire for something better beneath the calluses.
The region spans diverse subregions. The Wildfire Wastes hold the eastern overgrown jungles, steadily pushed back by Burner operations. The Crossings serve as the central heartland of trade and travel. The Slopes send snow-capped mountain passes toward the sky, producing the best Postmen in the wastes. The Drylands bake in the southern deserts, barely habitable. Dead Springs sits irradiated and war-torn between deserts and mountains. The Dead End Rockies hold a remote wilderness of ice, desert, and jungle. At the heart of it all stands the Mile High City, the Pure Blood capital and economic engine of Lorado, funded by the Lineage League's wealthy families.
People come to Lorado from as far as Hell Dorado and Old York seeking to live as they please, as long as they can make it on their own. Independence and self-reliance are the region's defining values. Mining, farming, trade, and the Burner reclamation drive the economy, with the Russell Family dominating mining and the Curs Brewin' Company dominating alcohol. Hell's Garden serves as a holy site for the Tribes of Seasons and a proving ground for Diesel Jocks. The Colosseum settles disputes through trial by combat. The Saw River carries goods and people through the heart of the region.
The success of Lorado is built on the backs of the broken. Beneath the commerce lies resentment and growing communities of the disenfranchised. The prospects of peace do not seem likely to remain much longer.
The region spans diverse subregions. The Wildfire Wastes hold the eastern overgrown jungles, steadily pushed back by Burner operations. The Crossings serve as the central heartland of trade and travel. The Slopes send snow-capped mountain passes toward the sky, producing the best Postmen in the wastes. The Drylands bake in the southern deserts, barely habitable. Dead Springs sits irradiated and war-torn between deserts and mountains. The Dead End Rockies hold a remote wilderness of ice, desert, and jungle. At the heart of it all stands the Mile High City, the Pure Blood capital and economic engine of Lorado, funded by the Lineage League's wealthy families.
People come to Lorado from as far as Hell Dorado and Old York seeking to live as they please, as long as they can make it on their own. Independence and self-reliance are the region's defining values. Mining, farming, trade, and the Burner reclamation drive the economy, with the Russell Family dominating mining and the Curs Brewin' Company dominating alcohol. Hell's Garden serves as a holy site for the Tribes of Seasons and a proving ground for Diesel Jocks. The Colosseum settles disputes through trial by combat. The Saw River carries goods and people through the heart of the region.
The success of Lorado is built on the backs of the broken. Beneath the commerce lies resentment and growing communities of the disenfranchised. The prospects of peace do not seem likely to remain much longer.
History
Lorado drew settlers seeking independence and self-reliance, growing from scattered outposts into a diverse region of competing interests. The Mile High City became the economic heart, funded by Pure Blood families through the Lineage League. The annual Burner reclamation expanded habitable territory each summer, transforming jungle into farmland and drawing new settlers to the Burnlands. The Russell Family established mining dominance while the Curs Brewin' Company controlled the alcohol trade. Beneath the prosperity, however, the foundations rest on the labor of the disenfranchised, and growing unrest among these communities suggests that the current order may not hold much longer.
Geography
Lorado spans western Merica, encompassing deserts to the south and west, overgrown jungles to the east, and snow-capped mountains above. The Wildfire Wastes hold the eastern jungles pushed back by annual Burner operations. The Burnlands mark the expanding frontier of cleared jungle. The Crossings form the central heartland of trade and travel. The Slopes rise into mountain passes renowned for producing the best Postmen. The Drylands bake in the southern deserts. Dead Springs sits irradiated between deserts and mountains. The Dead End Rockies hold remote wilderness of ice-desert and jungle. The Mile High City stands at the heart, with the Saw River serving as the primary transport route.
