Bugaria

The land of Bugaria exists entirely within the backyard of an abandoned house. It is home to numerous types of sentient insects, who were uplifted by a mysterious force following the disappearance of humans in an unspecified cataclysm. Other insects were unaffected by the force, and remained feral. Bugaria is separated into several kingdoms: Ants to the center, Bees to the West, Termites to the South, and Wasps to the North. The land also includes features such as a vast desert - actually an old sandbox - and a lake formed by a leaking pipe. Bugaria is a rare safe haven due to the effects of a magical crystal, and while other lands exist in the far north and east, they are at the mercy of unknown giant beasts.

The land is also home to strange relics and ruins left behind by the first group of insects to gain sentience: Roaches. One such legendary relic is the Everlasting Sapling, said to grant bugs eternal life. The Sapling was hidden by the Roaches, but it is known that a collection of artifacts can be used to unlock it. In the more recent past, Queen Elizant I arrived from a faraway land, established the Ant Kingdom, and searched for the Everlasting Sapling until being willingly placed in magical stasis. Following this, her daughter, Queen Elizant II, took over and established an Explorer's Association to fund expeditions to find these artifacts as a means of recovering the Sapling.

The Insect Kingdoms have all developed in very distinct technological directions, at very different speeds. All insect kingdoms are also ruled by Queens, the only exception being the Termite Kingdom, ruled by the Termite King and Queen.

• The Ant Kingdom, having focused on diplomacy and exploration throughout its existence, is a largely mercantile society that has only recently invented ships that don’t rely on sails. The current ruler is Queen Elizant II, who set up the Explorers' Association to track down the Everlasting Sapling, and is known to act more stern than her predecessor, Elizant I.

• The Bee Kingdom has been focusing on rapidly developing technology and research to improve the quality of life in Bugaria in general and the Hive in particular, and from the base of the tree to the top you can find windmills connected to batteries feeding a generator powering the Hive which connects to a largely automated honey factory powered by a separate, much stronger core. The hive is high up on the tree in Bugaria, so an elevator is used to carry visitors up to it. Queen Bianca is the ruler of the Bee Kingdom. She is a pacifistic ruler and prefers to avoid conflicts with other kingdoms.

• The Termite Kingdom has been industrializing, focusing all of their energy on their own development, and their dome has ten story skyscrapers, fast food, heavy pollution, a submarine, automated supermarkets full of mass-produced goods, and even internet. Unlike other kingdoms, it resides inside of a dome with filled high-tech equipment, neon lights, machines and conveyer belts, as opposed to natural settlements with plants and papercraft boxes. Queen Layra II is the queen of the Termite Kingdom, and wife to King Hector IV. King Hector is a foul-tempered hothead while his wife Queen Layra is far more calm and reasonable, but they are a loving couple who respect each other for the most part, with Layra even telling Hector that their relationship works because of how different they are from each other.

• The Wasp Kingdom is poor but highly militant, with a fortified wall and three giant tanks in a garage. Wasps will protect their Hive to the death, pushing away all unwanted visitors. Queen Vanessa II is the rightful ruler of the Wasp Kingdom, until she was usurped by the Wasp King, a vile usurper who wants to obtain the Everlasting Sapling before the Ant Kingdom does.