This article collects information regarding the conceptualisation of the game world of The Mana World.

This article is currently only a proposal

The features or design guidelines described in this article are only a proposal made by one or some persons. It has not been evaluated or accepted by the core development team yet. Feel free to add your personal opinion about them or make counter proposals.

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Since the Great Quake, people have flocked to the once sparsely populated Argaes to take advantage of the growing economy and typically utopian weather. The island uniquely features several distinct ecosystems, though most of the population lives in the temperate central valley.

Argaes, the central continent

Geography

The Surrounding Sea

Due to the intensity of the surrounding waters, travel to and from the island can only be managed in mid-size to large vessels. While the known pirating port of Yenvar lies on the outer coast, few dare risk making berth there. Honest merchant ships and other vessels steer a wide course around the island until ultimately approaching the more favorable conditions of the Bay.

The Rocky Northern Coast

Steep cliffs separate the northern sea from central Argaes. Seemingly insurmountable, plateaus and peaks of this range are in fact reachable through miles of networking tunnels and natural caves. An adventurer with a good knowledge of the corridors, or with a good map, can find the summit and a great 360 degree overlook, but an inexperienced wanderer might be lost for days.

A stark contrast to the menacing cliffs, the loud crash of the waterfall and the mist it casts over the clear blue lake make this a popular spot for adventurers to rest and enjoy the natural beauty.

The Valley

A river flows down into the valley from the North Lake, passing through mills and irrigating vast farmlands. Major arterial roadways connect the farms and farming village to the central hub city of Peels Port (labeled 'Port Town'), the western forest, something, and the military barricade Bulwark (replaces 'Trade City').

The military controlled town and wall of Bulwark closes the breach left by the Coastal Ridge Mountains to the north and Mount Orynia to the south, thus completely blockading central Argaes from the 'Southern Wilds'.

• 'something' could be a windmill that takes advantage of access to heavy wind from the north.

the forest & the jungle

concepts: Canopy, logging camps, woodland village, Zartam

The general area is separated by a river that flows west from the lake to the ocean. The woodlands on the northern side of the river are forest class, while the southern side's woodlands are jungle. Aside from this river, there are at least 4 other significantly sized rivers and quite a few streams, spread out across the region. Two mountains lie entirely within the jungle perimeter; the southernmost of the two is the world's largest known deposit of fool's gold.. though there are tales of sizable amounts of REAL gold being found, as well.

There are generally two modes of travel through the woodland regions, the many paths and roads, or the bridge network. The roads get you there, but the bridges are a bit more direct, making them a bit quicker. The bridges began in the town of Canopy, who's local government still maintains responsibility over them. To gain access to the bridge network, you must go to Canopy and obtain a pass.

Zartam is the senior power in the area. The entire jungle is sometimes referred to simply as "Zartam" because of its diligent control over the general area.

HELP THINK! ..I want there to be something other than surroundings distinguishing forest-folk from jungle-folk.. perhaps even just some sort of cultural wedge, like a strong difference in beliefs. I'm not sure if I want the two sides to be feuding, but that's a possibility. An idea that I had was that one side is attempting to get rid of the loggers, while the other side is doing nothing. That's kinda boring though. Any ideas for this would be appreciated. Also, I don't have enough planned for the woodlands.. so don't be afraid to put some thought in to the area.

 Suggestion: Maybe the Jungle folks consider woman to be inferior beings, and value strength and brutality
 whereas forest folks consider them to be holy bringers of life, valuing wisdom and cunning?

 Suggestion: Maybe there could be something like amazon tribes, not exactly amazons, another name would be  
 better; an the animals there would be something like lions, tigers, mokeys, etc, but derivates, like 
 tiger-lion,monkey-gorilla,giant maggots, bitans, etc. somethig that make it a JUNGLE

the two rivers & the swamp

This strip of land separates two formidable rivers. Somehow, the river on the west runs south, while the river on the east runs north. This circular flow has contributed a great deal to successful exploitation of the river, for shipping and travel. In the south, the two rivers meet the sea; this is the only safe access to and from the continent, by sea. This is what makes Trade City's location so vital; boats can come up the eastern river, dock at Trade City's harbor to unload/load cargo and make an easy exit down the western river, back out to sea. The two rivers are also used for local travel. An individual can go it alone with a boat of their own, or for an easier time, one can book passage on a ferry.

Back to the swamp.. though it's mostly trees and mucky water, a few caves can be found. The area used to be a blend of savanna and woodlands, but an alchemist's experiment turned the area in to a swamp. The experiment employed the use of magical spores, which were supposed to grow in to mushroom houses. Instead, the spores (which were probably handled improperly) grew in to fungus creatures, which quickly multiplied. Shortly after this blunder, the swamp began to form and the fungus creatures quickly overtook the strip. Zartam's council of elders banished the alchemist, who then promptly disappeared. They also ordered that a group be sent to the swamp, to contain the problem. Those people managed to learn to live in the swamp and continue their effort in pest control; the first generation of children could be being born there now.

the island off of the northeast coast

This tropical island is full of ferocious beasts. Only a few people live here and only they could tell you exactly why. A tribe inhabiting this place probably have some special spells or abilities to teach. We could place a small volcano here, if we really wanted to get cliched with the whole "tribal islanders" theme.

the southern mountainrange

Crossing the mountains is a challenge, but the road that passes through them is said to be a thief checkpoint. Rivers running between the mountains can be navigated by a small raft or boat, but this also carries its own set of risks. There are mining projects currently active in the area, leaving abandoned tunnels behind them.

Notes

• This article is adapted from Argaes
• Need to size-down the map image