Arlen

2026-08-03T06:56:08Z

66.42.110.77:

[[File:Arlen.png|The town of Arlen, located in the [[Kern#Western Major Region|Western Major Region]]. To its northeast is [[Aestros]], and off to the northwest just before hitting the [[Kern#Far Country|Far Country]] is the [[Kern#Last ‘Stoppe Inn|Last 'Stoppe Inn]].|frame]]'''Arlen''' is a small, farming settlement on the great plains of the [[Kern#Western Major Region|Western Major Region]].

== Features ==
'''Marketplace and Trade.''' Agriculture, mostly grains/wheat/barley type stuff as well as honey and mead production from local wildflowers. Animal husbandry and leatherworking are also common professions.

'''Population Size.''' Small; ~5,000 people on any given day, with more depending on current travel and trade activities.

'''Population Density.''' Arlen’s quaint architecture, small size, and location in the plains of the Western Major Region allow for it to be populated less-densely than other areas in the world.

'''Demonym.''' ‘Arlenians’

'''Population Demographics.''' Arlen is mostly human and half-elf, though tieflings and dwarves are also seen from time to time. The non-human/elf races tend to work manual labor jobs other than farming, like merchandisers and garbage collection.

'''Government.''' Arlen is basically a wild-west type town protected and governed by their local constabulary that reports to a mayor.

'''Culture.''' Arlen is known for their practice of cultivating luminescent mushrooms harvested from the [[Kern#Far Country|Far Country]] that only grow in the moonlight . Mushrooms and mushroom insignia are seen extensively throughout the town’s designs and motifs. During the fall harvest time, they put on a city-wide scarecrow designing-scene, usually based around a theme for the year.

Mana

2026-08-01T22:17:03Z

66.42.110.77: /* Drilling */

''See Also'': [https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/dnd/basic-rules-2014/spellcasting#SpellSlots Basic Rules for Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) 5th Edition (5e) - D&D Beyond#Spell Slots]

Anything, including an object or person, that is connected to [[The Grid|the ''Grid'']] produces '''''mana''''', a type of renewable energy that powers ''all'' magical, sorcerous, and reality-warping effects.

Each time a creature casts a spell or uses an enchanted object to produce a magical effect, ''mana'' is the energy resource required to produce the effect that warps or bends reality. If a creature expends all of their ''mana'', they can’t cast any more spells until their ''mana'' replenishes. As it pertains to D&D, ''mana'' shares the same essential qualities that the resource of spell slots possess.

Mana is frequently channeled into and imbued in objects by wizards, most notably different types of machinery and weaponry, to achieve various different goals. [[Magicorp|Magicorp Enterprises, Ltd.]] was one of the first and by far most-successful commercial ventures in attempting to monetize this concept.

== ''Mana'' Emanation ==
The entire planet of [[Kern]] is connected to the ''Grid'', an invisible energy field that exists in all places throughout the universe. In wild areas that are fully- or mostly-untouched by sentient creatures, connection to the ''Grid'' is much stronger, and ''mana'' is emanated very powerfully from these areas. Sentient creatures being present causes mana to stop generating, but it does not ''expel'' it. Exceptionally strongly-entwined areas to the ''Grid'' are referred to as “conduits”, “hot spots”, “wells”, and more.

If fully-sentient creatures leave a place on Kern alone for long enough, it will begin generating natural ''mana'' again. There also exist different magical techniques to allow ''mana'' to continue generating while sentient creatures are present, and ''mana'' itself can be manufactured if the connection to the ''Grid'' is strong enough; this, however, is a true feat of sorcery, and it is very, very uncommon to find anything man-made that generates real ''mana''.

In the wild, ''mana'' can be harvested via various methods, and harvesting it from the earth is one of the most effective ways to power magical effects, which makes it a natural target for Magicorp. Ethical methods for harvesting it exist that allow for the preservation of the earth’s generative properties, but unethical ways also exist that can harvest it very quickly at the cost of ruining the environment.

A sorcerer with a valid connection to the ''Grid'' can regenerate their own ''mana'' by resting and tapping into it, which would generally fall into the ethical category of harvestation. Conversely, ''mana'' can be extracted out of the air, plants, water, and earth using spells and magical devices that cruelly vampirize the natural environment.

== Drilling ==
''Mana'' emanation gets much more powerful the deeper down the earth gets. Consequently, Magicorp has established dozens of [[Mana Drilling Sites|drilling sites]] all throughout the world to harvest ''mana'' from deep within the earth in order to power their machinery. Though this method can produce staggering amounts of ''mana'' quick enough to meet demand, it is known as a wildly unsustainable and dangerous practice by activists and residents of the wild areas of the world to be barbaric, unsustainable, and callous towards the environment due to the pollution and mayhem they cause.

The drilling sites themselves are gargantuan obelisks surrounded by adamantium-reinforced walls that protrude nearly 200 feet off the ground. Inside the walls, facilities are present to house different employees and guards, as well as shipping bays to deliver their payloads. The drills run 24/7, and they slowly suck the life force out of the surrounding area until no ''mana'' is left to be harvested, at which point, the facility is closed and a new one is built elsewhere. Though Magicorp is required by law to demolish inactive drilling sites, they rarely follow through on this due to the exorbitant costs of dismantling them.

[[Gôl]], Kern's deity of nature, trees, natural beauty, plants, critters, agriculture, and harvest, holds Magicorp in the highest contempt imaginable. Their CEO, [[Jimmy Richardson|James "Jimmy" William Richardson III]], has spent near his entire life avoiding assassination attempts plotted by Gôl and his warriors, the [[Oerlikon]].

Legends of Kern - User contributions [en]

Arlen

Mana