Taking a little break from making talking heads on white backgrounds to do a set of speedpaints (~2.

Taking a little break from making talking heads on white backgrounds to do a set of speedpaints (~2.5 hrs for the second one, ~2 hrs for the third, ~1.5 hours for the first and last) showing some locations in the “past” setting of Amaranthine. Y'know, just to give the waist-up furries with giant dialog boxes some context. :) Descriptions for each locale under the cut! I plan to do a second series focusing on the “present” setting later, time allowing.

Western Kingdom (City of Whitefell, Year 1527)

The city of Whitefell is one of the northernmost cities in the Western Kingdom. Once a small, rural village whose local economy was focused on lumber and fur trading, everything changed with the foundation of the Whitefell Royal Magical Academy. In the century and a half since its founding, the town has evolved into a fairly wealthy and prosperous city, sporting conveniences such as magical streetlamps and energy furnaces that allow its residents to live in comfort, despite the relatively inhospitable climate.

When a child is found to have significant magical skill, it is customary for Western Kingdom families to send the child off to a Royal Magical Academy for training and certification. Upon graduation, the newly-minted wizard will likely join the Royal Mages–grades permitting, of course. Competition is fierce, especially at a desirable school like Whitefell, and requires not only talent but also intense dedication and rigorous study. Not all wizards are able to make the cut.

On this particular day, a young boy from the academy has made a different choice: he is skipping school. As clouds roll in and snow begins to fall, he begins to shiver–he is woefully underdressed for this weather. He looks around for someplace to take shelter in.

Western Kingdom (Unnamed rural town, Year 1539)

In the rural areas of the Western Kingdom, towns rarely have their own village witch or wizard–that’s where the Royal Mages come in. Somewhere between public servants and mercenaries, they provide specialized magic-for-hire services ranging from healing injuries and illness, removing crop blight, assisting in construction projects, crafting potions and enchantments, and much more. The assistance they offer is invaluable… to any town or individual that can afford their fees, that is.

Opinions on the Royal Mages vary depend on who you ask. Some view them as saviors and heroes, while others see them as greedy and corrupt. Shadier mages are known to half-ass jobs for poorer clients while being all too eager to fix up a high-paying noble’s vacation home, and rumors of bribery and blackmail swirl.

Not all of them have bad reputations, though. Viscount Arcturus Hyden IV, the only son of the famous Hyden magic family, was one of the good ones. Him showing up in town was a head-turning affair. Though haughty and eccentric, to many, the young mage’s ego seemed justified. After all, they’d all seen how effortlessly he crafted the high-level spells requested of him–spells that would normally take an entire team of Royal Mages working in unison. He was thorough, too–he refused to leave a job unfinished and never cut corners, even when working for the lowliest and poorest farming hamlet. He’d even fix up previous spellwork done by other less talented mages for free if he didn’t like their technique. It was, therefore, relatively easy to look the other way when he would spend the entire rest of his visit day-drinking in the taverns and attempting to seduce any woman who happened to make eye contact with him.

Western Kingdom (Westhaven Capitol, Year 1570)

The capitol city of Westhaven is widely recognized as the seat of the Western Kingdom’s power and glory. Far enough south to be shielded from the worst of the bitterly cold northern winds, yet far enough east to escape the wet, swampy western moors and the disease they bring, Westhaven sits at the nexus of many trade routes and favorable weather patterns. With a long, stable history, rich trade, and an unusually high concentration of wizards thanks to being the headquarters of the Royal Mages, Westhaven has grown into a massive, sprawling economic and political power, easily dwarfing every other city in the kingdom.

There is little wonder that the western king chose to build his castle there. There is even less wonder that Westhaven estates would become a hot commodity among Western Kingdom noble families. Families that are lucky enough to be gifted a parcel of Westhaven land by the crown enjoy a close relationship with the king, considerable political sway, and the unique ability to keep an eye on the crown’s dealings… though, for a certain individual, it may be the crown that is keeping an eye on him.

Retired from the Royal Mages after being injured in a border conflict with the Eastern Kingdom, Duke Hyden seems to sit comfortably in the new Westhaven manor awarded to him along with his new dukeship and new position as one of the king’s high wizard chancellors. So comfortably, it seems, that he never leaves–his ostentatious public appearances seem to be a thing of the past. The few souls that have seen him in the years since his injury say that he looks very different these days: heavier, now, and draped in glittering silken robes, they say, with his mane of salt-and-pepper hair gone completely white.

One must wonder, then, what business this unicorn gentleman has with the Duke. Lord Ambroys de Luxe is clearly no maid nor servant, so what is he doing at the Duke’s manor so late in the evening…?

Western Kingdom (Western Moors - The Hill, Year 1572)

A convoy of wagons bearing the mark of the king travel a remote road on the far western outskirts of the Western Kingdom. This far out, even rural farming villages are few and far between, and a chilly wind blows over the endless, quietly rainy moors and dark, dense forests. Some more superstitious sorts whisper that these outskirt lands are haunted or cursed. What else would explain the strange, dark dreams rumored to haunt travelers, or the stubborn crop blight that keeps many remote villages on the brink of starvation? More educated city-dwellers would explain it away as the ignorance and paranoia of simple peasantfolk, of course, but after a week of travel in this area, even the royal guards and researchers of Westhaven find themselves anxiously looking over their shoulders and startling more often as they drive their wagons onward.

Tonight, the convoy has stopped and set up camp at the foot of a small, forested hill on the orders of Duke Hyden, the nobleman leading the trip. The Duke has long been known for his mercurial temperament and strange habits, of course, even before his injury at the border and subsequent disappearance from the public eye. Odd behavior is nothing new when dealing with him.

But even so, the accompanying guards and other members of the trip find his secrecy and growing agitation over the last few days unnerving. What exactly are they doing out here, anyway?