♞ setting
♞ SETTING
The world that Estrasia Academy is set in is much like our own, but with a few technological advances; flying cars and pills that cause invisibility are commonplace. There are five major continents, each with their own major cities, seasons and defining characteristics, and the island that the academy lies on is very unique in its set up. Given the ease of travel and people having longer, more fruitful lives, it's not unusual to meet people that have been to and explored most of the world.
Each continent has its own page which explains its cities, its sights and some other bits and pieces about it, and you may notice that many of the names of the cities and countries are named after locations in video games, even if the place may have little-to-no resemblance to the one in the game.
Please note that the world map is only a rough approximate; there are islands and other, smaller cities and towns that aren't marked on it at all!
♚ ESTRASIA ACADEMY
Estrasia Academy is a prestigious school that sits high above most of the world upon the man-made floating island. Established over a thousand years ago to train those that were beginning to develop powers of their own accord, it helps students between the ages of eleven and twenty-two to flourish and to master their own special ability, and maybe to pick up another couple in their studies. It's not the only school of its type, but, given its reputation for brilliant teaching and fantastic results no matter what level a particular student is at, it's unusual for anyone to want to transfer out of it to one of the others.
♟ THE FLOATING ISLAND
The floating island was built as an escape. Over one thousand years ago, those that had begun to manifest powers were worried, scared that they would be persecuted against by members of their own society. There are few issues now, but the floating island continues to be where most magical folk live.
♟ CROSS
Cross is the second largest continent, having a good mix of well-developed agriculture towards the west, whilst the east is much more urban, running a number of internationally successful businesses. Cross's seasons are much like those on the non-tropical regions of earth; they have a spring, a summer, an autumn and a winter.
♟ EL
El has no major cities; it is an entire continent of countryside, villages and small towns. The elderly have a tendency to immigrate to El to live their last days out in peace; and it is peaceful, being a strong contrast to Cross, Lacour and Deningrad.
♟ LACOUR
Those that live in Lacour are unlikely to ever see rolling, grassy hills or a sunset unobscured by smog. For such a small area, Lacour has a very high population, and all of the cities are locked together; it is difficult to tell where one city ends and another begins. Lacour's citizens make the most per capita, and almost all food is imported.
♟ CENTRA
Unlike Lacour, where there are many people per square kilometre, Centra has very few. The Ulara Desert is for the most part to blame for this; it is almost completely impossible to live in. Most people live in the cities of Aglis and Mayfil, and have no intention of ever trying to cross the treacherous sands.
♟ DENINGRAD
Deningrad, a continent that spans four timezones, has something for everyone. From Moonflow, a city of eternal night, to Nede and Alexandria; cities of hopeful young professionals and of ruins respectively. It is the largest continent, and those that live on the coast have the added bonus of being able to get to Cross quickly and easily.