Setting

Beanuts

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Ancient and magical items, these rather curious objects seem neither animal, vegetable, nor mineral. These rare eccentricities are often coveted for their novelty and curiosity, but many scholars report that a Beanut can be used as a type of arcane focus. The only consistent characteristic of Beanuts is that they are as diverse and unpredictable as people.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Beanut historians around the world agree that a true Beanut will tend to take on the properties of their environment over time. These properties have been reported to be things such as temperatures, weather patterns, nearby materials, light, and (some claim) even the personalities and temperaments of their owners. Some magic users claim they can harness the power of a Beanut to perform heightened levels of magic, and yet some of the greatest master sorcerers have reportedly been unable to cast even the simplest cantrip with one nearby.

Bird Leaves

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎The magnificent family of giant birds known under the scientific name “Megavian” encompasses rare and unique winged creatures all across the Beanut Lands. The plumage of these birds, known as “bird leaves,” has been highly valued since ancient times, leading back to very basic Faekin traditions of debt and payment.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎In this Megavian family are categorized many genus of birds, the most lauded among them are the Accipitry birds. These birds reside primarily in the Crown Valley, and their leaves have been standardized as the currency for the Empire. This plumage is not only strikingly beautiful, but is nearly impossible to counterfeit, as the Accipitry birds’ leaves only retain their unique properties when naturally molted.
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Amongst the regional laws emplaced by the central government, strict hunting and poaching laws surround the Accipitry birds native to the Imperial Crownlands. Without a rewarded harvesters license, penalties for illegally collecting bird leaves, and the hunting or capturing of these sacred birds include exile to the Grave Barrens, extended periods of imprisonment, or even death for repeat offenders.
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎‎This Imperial system for currency is deeply based on the ancient Faekin tradition of using bird leaves as symbols of a debt to be repaid. Originally the practice was only a single bird leaf to symbolize a debt, but when the Empire institutionalized bird leaves as the currency, each bird leaf was given an assigned value based on its rarity.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Due to the standard currency belonging solely to the Accipitry birds, trading in the bird leaves of other Megavian species is seen as an unacceptable, and often illegal practice. Some of these other unique birds include the graceful Jacaral Osprey of the Brittle Break, the fearsome Savanna Dunerunner of the Hinlands, the endangered Venukan Gryphon of Danuvica, and the colorful Kartakan Arat of the Torgali Jungle.