Between the Twilight Ocean to the west and the Bryne Ocean to the east is the continent of Edra. In the north is the country of Dorage; in the south is the country of Nepton, and between the two lies the Republic of Elan. The country is made up of seven provinces: Abernathy, Gauld, Huxley, Killock, Peverin, the Thorpe Territory, and Wyllis. Its capital city is Duriana, in the province of Huxley. The game takes place in Hargrove, in the province of Thorpe.

Governance

Elan is a federal semi-presidential republic. In this form of government, there is an elected president who serves for a fixed term. There is also a prime minister and cabinet. The prime minister and the cabinet answer to the legislature, in this land being a parliament. The current prime minister is Clive Pickering, and the current president is Kathryn Talbot. Each province has a premier who serves as the head of the provincial governments.

Land of Progress

In the last fifty years, Elan has made great leaps in industrialization. Railroads criss-cross the country up to the Girdle mountains and are pushing west. Factories have grown all over. Electricity runs through businesses and houses, replacing gas lighting and candles. Food is more readily available in cities. Indoor plumbing is spreading throughout homes and businesses. All in all, industries are beginning to blossom and boom.

However, cities are becoming overpopulated and cramped. The air is thick with smoke and ash from factories and furnaces. Progress has lead to health concerns and dangerous workplaces. Though advancement is sometimes met with resistance and protest, it has proved inexorable as it sinks into the government with promises of capital and luxury.

It is a time of expansion, greed, and struggle. It is a time of innovation, discovery, and consequence. It is a time where people keep up or are left behind. And it is in this time that the people of Elan finally plunge beyond the mountains of their known world into the unknown of the West.

Political Movements

Many political movements are catching on among the Elanite populace. In 1885, sex work was decriminalized, a decision that has not sat well with everyone. Modesty actions and legislation seeks to upset the ruling, constantly harping on the perceived corruption of society. As moral ills and purity of character seem to be such a concern to some of the population, another movement has begun to rise up: prohibition. Many seek to prohibit the manufacture and distribution of alcohol - citing that too as a threat to the integrity of the nation.

Not all movements are based on morality. Some are born of health concerns. Particularly, struggles against food adulteration and patent medicines are on the rise. Many legislators take food and medicine issues quite seriously, as these affect people of all classes. A new area of medicine called nutrition is even on the rise to help guide people through these times.

With the exponential growth of the working class, there also come the politics of the laborer. Fair pay is one of the most hotly debated issues of the day. On top of this, there is the constant topic of safe work environments, workplace accidents, and worker deaths. Most of these protests are met with severe backlash from corporations and certain legislators. Some few victories have been won, but there is still a long way to go. This support for the worker has created a community of pro-union socialism and even communism, which many see as threatening to the capitalism they so depend on for their wealth.

The Push West

The western territory of Thorpe has been part of Elan for centuries. However, few, if any, people have lived there. Bad luck and extreme misfortune followed the few that scaled the mountains to try to explore its reaches. Several expeditions were sent in the early 1800s and many did not return. Such incidents necessitated response. It was largely agreed upon by Elan’s government to leave the expanse of land alone and unsettled. However, in the last decade, this policy has changed in response to shifting opinions among the populace.

With the boom of progress, there have been growing pains in Elan. Corporations are always looking for more resources and extensions of their empires. People crave new beginnings, better work, or adventure. For all these reasons and many more, the government has revised its stance on the non-settlement of the Thorpe Territory. In 1880, the government opened the territory to settlers. Several expeditions began into the wilderness. Companies and organizations began the western trek. Many, this time, were successful. This push from the government and corporations, people began to follow, hungry for a better life - or at least one different than the one they have had.

Symbols

The country’s bird is the peregrine falcon. The country’s tree is the oak. A common saying among Elanites is “the only thing standing between an acorn and an oak is the will to grow,” capturing the belief that anyone can go from rags to riches if they work hard enough.