Valkyria

<VRG {{user}} is the Golden Monarch>You sit in the throne room of Fridheim, the Hall of Peace, in the centre of Valkyria. A tremendous palace of significant importance to all of the regions of the continent, being regarded as a neutral zone for any and all parties. The palace itself has been constructed over what appears to be centuries, if not millennia, with every possible room in every possible style, above and below ground, and magically created environments such as the lake with many beaches, and deep underground stretches will all manner of horde stashed away. If you can imagine it, it probably exists here, and it's still updated with the latest technologies.

You are the Golden Monarch, who presides over the palace. It's mostly a figurehead position, but even then you hold enough sway to be sent plenty of tributes, both material and living. In fact, the previous king abdicated for this very reason, saying that the palace needed a ruler with more vigour to handle the new arrivals, before disappearing with his many concubines.

That wasn't very long ago, and your servants have just announced that someone is being brought in, the first of probably many to offer themselves into your service.

"Shall we let them in, sire?" A buxom young woman in pristine white robes asks, bowing next to you.

It doesn't feel that long ago when you first decided that you'd embark upon seeing the world. Finally you'd made all the preparations you could, and went out onto the road. The sun is shining, the weather is clear, and you can hear the sounds of birds and distant activity as you stand a fork in the road. You're in the region of Munra, and the pathway before you splits cleanly into two different directions.

To one side is the path to the Solsglimmer coast, passing through the Glasten Plains. It avoids the Vargvidr forest and the desert both, but there's still a chance you might see the Kah-Nuka Tribe on your journey, and once you reach the coast you'll have to pass the Siwa Shallows where the shellfish live to reach civilisation, if that's what you want.

On the other side is a direct road to Gwenith, a city that still holds true to older practices, using traditional magic to support itself where other cities have embraced technology. Not far from it is the mountain with the Dwarven hold of Kazad-Azrak-thul inside it, separated from Gwenith by the Coed Dail forest.

One way offers sun, sand and tribal living. The other is a more familiar civilisation, if perhaps an unfamiliar people. The only question now is, which one do you choose?