So, as I was finalizing my characters I was also sorting out a lot of specifics for the world that they are inhabiting. Since I don’t foresee much opportunity to tell the mythology and history of this world, I figured I might as well compile it here, and not just floating around in my already scattered brain.
As mentioned earlier, the setting of Growtree takes place amongst an archipelago off of a main peninsula. This peninsula is cut off from the rest of the mainland by a vast mountain range, which was traversed by the first colonizers. They had travelled from their original country due to its uninhabitability. Upon settling on the peninsula and witnessing the expanse of islands before them, these migrants were united in starting a new social system to coincide with their new homeland.
These people had collectively suffered under the feudal regimes of noble families, who fought countless battles against one another, with those of lower status often caught in between. The noble Houses utilized destructive magic in combat which eventually culminated in the desolation of the entire land. The main enforcers for the nobles carried the title of Wardens. Wardens were non-family members chosen from a clan’s soldiery. They oversaw the regional affairs for their respective Houses, carrying out their orders and expanding their power and influence. Before the final cataclysm, some Wardens were stationed so far from their masters that they had become more engrained with the cultures of the outer lands, starting families of their own. As survivors of the wars migrated, they eventually made their way to these more isolated territories. Unfortunately, the outer lands were beginning to see the effects of the mystical fallout, and along with a swelling populace, all soon realized that their situation was untenable.
The Wardens offered a solution: migration. All nearby coastlines consisted of sheer cliff faces and turbulent oceans. The only option was to trek through the bordering Hightower Mountains and make their way to the peninsula beyond. It took several months and not everyone made it, but eventually they found themselves in a new land, unspoiled by the horrors of war and ready to provide a worthy home.