Neriumese

"And your gods, how did they grow powerful?" - Archmagus Danaeros *****

The Neriumese are a people so closely attuned to the flow of arcane knowledge that they can almost see it. If it is a magic of Neriumese origin, they actually do see it. More conveniently, most magical devices and spells in the modern world were created in Nerium. The other races assume they are all arcanists (a stereotype Neriumese are all too willing to exploit), but the real percentage is roughly a third. Neriumese thieves and smugglers were so adept at escaping detection that the Comorii are now just as infamous as their siblings.

Their architecture reflects their peoples ambitions and fears; towers to keep their lofty secrets out of reach, but great heights from which to plummet should they take a misstep. It seems as if they can hardly stand being close to the ground - most permanent settlements contain at least one levitated structure. Domed orreries and observatories litter the layout of the cities, and private libraries are as common as market stalls. Lights are a major part of the look and feel of the big cities, often illuminating the full height of their largest structures. They are as brilliant and varied as the best pigments of the Rugii, and just as expensive.

For all their intellect and control, their society still suffers from problems common to all cultures. Security has become something of a sport in Neriumese lands: magical locks and traps are laughably easy to detect, and mundane ones even easier to defeat. Egos and paranoia run rampant, and as a result duels are a daily occurrence. Substance abuse ranges the gamut from depressed theoreticians escaping their forbidden knowledge to frustrated students attempting to ascend to godhood. Clever children have been known to ransack cabinets containing animating oils or self replicating foods. The local Wardens are so overworked that they are forced to turn to conscription of nearly any willing party, resulting in frequent corruption and charlatanism. And these are only the minor problems: Ashen terrorists, Naldoshii assassins, mimetic pyromania spells, doomsday machines, and worse (what's worse than a doomsday machine? Ask a Warden, because I don't want to know) are routinely thwarted in the nick of time.

But don't let all the negativity give you the wrong impression. For over a thousand years Nerium was the ruling superpower in Ausra. More than just a regime, it was a bedrock for stability in the East and the source of technology and learning for the entire continent. Soon the machinations of the great colleges will be made apparent, and hopefully their scheming will amount to more than just personal gain.

Stat Adjustments:
 * +2 Int
 * +1 Wis
 * +1 Any Attribute
 * Knowledge Arcana
 * Proficiency on Casting Checks
 * Wizard Vision