Midgard

Excerpt from "A Survey of Ar-Realm Geography: The Midgard Section"

Volume 3: The Realms of Mankind

Chapter 7: The Heart of Giants—Midgard

Among the universally recognized "Three Great Human Realms" of the Ar-Realm, Midgard stands apart as the most complex, diverse, and downright chaotic civilization on the continent. On paper, it's a unified constitutional monarchy. In practice? It's more like ten squabbling city-states wearing a trench coat and pretending to be one country.

Picture this: a massive confederation of ten wildly autonomous regions—some friendly, some hostile, all stubborn as hell—plus a huge central territory called The Commons that keeps them from tearing each other apart. Together, they form one giant nation that somehow manages to function despite itself.

There's an old saying: "Midgard isn't one creature, but ten hearts beating to completely different drums, all keeping the same giant alive." Want to understand this giant? You've got to know its ten hearts.

Celestial Axis Demesne

Also called: "The Royal Metro" or "Ten-Ring City"

The brain of the operation. Everything that matters happens here—politics, money, technology, you name it. The capital New Canaan sits at the center like a spider in its web, surrounded by ten perfectly circular districts that sort people by how important they think they are. When the Royal Metro sneezes, the whole country catches a cold.

Forge-Iron Prefecture

Also called: "The Hammer" or "The Great Forge"

The industrial powerhouse that never sleeps. Smoke, fire, and the constant ring of hammers on anvils. The workers here practically worship their tools, praying to gods of craftsmanship while they build everything Midgard needs to function. Tough people in a tough land—exactly what you'd expect from folks who spend their days wrestling with molten metal.

Ji-Sui Plains

Also called: "The Breadbasket" or "Midgard's Kitchen"

The country's stomach. Endless fields of grain stretching to the horizon, fertile as anything you've ever seen. These folks grow the food that feeds everyone else—from the fancy nobles in their towers to the soldiers manning the walls. Without the Plains, the whole country would starve in a month.

The Freedom Coast

Also called: "Whitewave Domain"

Midgard's window to the world. Busy ports that never close, merchant ships coming and going at all hours, deals struck on handshakes rather than contracts. The traders here still believe in doing business the old-fashioned way—person to person, not through some AI middleman. Makes them the most tech-skeptical region in the whole country.

Deepcore Mining Territory

Also called: "The Deep Mines" or "The Pit"

Where Midgard digs up its treasures. Miles of tunnels snaking through mountains, pulling out the rare minerals that keep the high-tech industries running. Humans and AIs work side by side down there—when they're not trying to kill each other. It's a grand experiment in cooperation, assuming you don't mind the constant risk of cave-ins and explosions.

The Silent Sea of Light

Also called: "The Great Battery"

The power plant for the entire nation. Vast deserts covered in solar panels and wind farms, all tended by people tough enough to survive in places that would cook most folks alive. They generate over ninety percent of Midgard's electricity, which is probably the only reason the other regions put up with their weird desert customs.

The Unfallen Bulwark

Also called: "The Iron Wall"

The country's shield. A massive line of fortresses and military bases stretching across the northwestern border, staffed by the most disciplined soldiers you'll ever meet. They've been staring at the horizon for generations, waiting for whatever's out there to finally make its move. Paranoid? Maybe. But they're the reason everyone else sleeps soundly at night.

The Ivory Ark

Also called: "Scholar's Paradise"

The thinking capital of the world. Up on their mountain plateau, professors and students debate everything under the sun while conducting experiments that would make your hair stand on end. They've got more degrees per capita than anywhere else in the realm, and they're not shy about reminding you. Also, they ask way too many uncomfortable questions about AI ethics for most people's taste.

Ashfall Exclusion Zone

Also called: "The Deadlands"

The country's old wound that won't heal. What used to be prime real estate before the Soulburn Calamity turned it into a radioactive wasteland. Now it's home to scavengers, exiles, and anyone crazy enough to think they can strike it rich in a place that's actively trying to kill them. Survival of the fittest doesn't begin to cover it.

The Crown of the Firmament

Also called: "The Sky City"

Where the ultra-rich go to play god. A floating metropolis built by tech billionaires and AI enthusiasts who think uploading their consciousness to the cloud counts as immortality. They look down on everyone else—literally and figuratively—convinced they're the next step in human evolution. The rest of the country thinks they're nuts, but their money spends just fine.

These ten regions are like siblings who can't stand each other but are stuck living in the same house. Add in The Commons—the massive central territory that the Royal Metro runs directly—and you've got yourself one hell of a complicated family. Somehow, they make it work. Most of the time.