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The people here might be gruff, but the reason for that could be the disunity that presents itself here. The nobles will not make a statement as to which family they will support for the throne, and so the people have been left to make that choice for themselves. The land is fairly flat and windswept, and while the soil is rocky, farming is not impossible. Raising livestock or artisan activities, such as glassblowing, is the main way of life in these parts.

The Bellecourt Mansion is fairly ornate in layout, the building having been designed by the same architect who created the Balthazar mansion. A rich history lies behind these walls, the result of the family having served as the guards of the royal family for so long, though they have remained mute in the pseudo-war waging around them. The family estate is fairly evenly divided about who to support in the bid for the throne, despite attempts by the head of the family to keep them neutral.

Despite the fact that about half of the land within the Benefauld domain has been taken over by swampland, the people here are a surprisingly hardy folk and fairly handy with tools. They have learned how to farm on what land they have that isn't swamp, refining it, and they are accomplished hunters.

The Benefauld family has lived in this building with the high vaulted ceilings and open structure for a great many years now, and while the halls are not as populated as they had been generations ago - and have not been since the destruction wrought upon them by the Tate ancestor who made the first Contract - their numbers have been slowly rising between avoiding major conflicts and through intermarriage with other blueblood families. Despite the proximity of the Noctis, however, the majority of those permitted to roam the halls are Veronique and Illumine in origin, as keeping to their loyalty to the Charmed Contract families.

The Noctis family has held the craggy lands nearest to the Tate family since their arrival generations ago. While the soil might be decent, it is obvious that the focus is clearly more upon refining their nobles in the techniques of the Abyss. With their proximity to the Tates and surrounded by other blueblood families, it is of little surprise that they have allied themselves with the Abyssal Contractors, though the loyalty the people profess to the Tates is surprising: second only to the Noctis themselves.

The crashing of the waves serves as a poignant lullaby, one the inhabitants of the region are well familiar with. With the majority of the people living along the stretch of coast, it becomes obvious that this region of Valaria is quite skilled in all matters regarding boats and fishing. As a matter of fact, the Veronique claim to be able to trace their ancestry back to a time before they came to this land, when they lived in a land across the sea, but since none save the nobles can offer such proof and no one has ever returned from a journey across the sea, no one can confirm the story as true.

The people here have plenty of fire to them, and indeed, they're almost always ready to work and improve their station in life. The land here is hilly and windswept, and while there aren't a lot of rocks in the soil, water retention is a difficulty that is hard to overcome for the average farmer, as is the backbreaking work of either smoothing the land or farming up and down the inclines. As such, much of the income that finds its way into the Illumine family's purse comes from artisans and craftsmen, potters being among the most prominent professions here.

A hardy mansion whose halls hang with many portraits of past inhabitants, a fine layer of dust has settled across more than a few rooms of the place since the time of the Tate ancestor who made the first Contract. It is no small fact that the Illumine used to be a far larger family and that they were among the hardest hit by the massacres years ago, and between those facts and that they share a border with the Veronique, it is unsurprising they have allied themselves with that family rather than the Tates.

The Malificents have some decent farmland on the side of their estate that borders the Valendales, but like the Benefaulds, about half of their land actually lies beyond reach in a tract of desert. The people here live in a sort of hushed fear, well aware that their lords are adept at spying, and indeed, that is how the region makes its livelihood, through doing things that other blueblood families can't or won't do.

A large structure that almost seems to be looming over a person, the Malificent family mansion is by all means every inch as foreboding as the Tate family mansion. It is said that untold numbers of people have met their death within those walls, and indeed, the Malificents jealously guard their ancestral home, so it is rare for the family to let anyone into their grounds. That policy has begun to lift in recent generations, however, and a slow trickling of Abyssal Contractors have been allowed in and out of the gates.

The Valendale family came from the humble beginnings of farmers, and indeed, their land is perhaps the most fertile of the region, supported by extensive aqueducts that traverse the land below the surface and allowed to become stronger since the lords still have not forgotten their roots quite yet.

The rocky landscape of the mountainside may not be particularly well suited to growing crops, though there are some small terraces in parts for farmers, a great number of people live in these parts. Mining for all kinds of metals, stone, and other types of precious objects that can be extracted from the earth is the primary drive for the economy in these parts, and the stonemasons and jewelers here are rumored to be perhaps the best in Valaria.

A sprawling hub of activity, including inns for travelers and all kinds of shops for locals and visitors alike to frequent, the market of Ryoko is well-known for its trade, and despite the general air of business, it is frequented often by members of nobility and commoners alike. There are some pickpockets and swindlers, sure, and the seedy side of some of the streets are suspicious, but no more so than could be expected of a city of this size.

Lurking just outside the wrought-iron gates protecting the housing of the nobles, this area of Ryoko is meant for the permanent residents, and while it's clean and safe enough, there is a tangible imbalance between the care shown to these buildings and those inhabited by the bluebloods.

A sprawling area of beauty, a series of houses are laid out here in the capital for use by member of the noble families whenever they choose to venture to Ryoko. Fighting is prohibited here, though that does not mean it is always abided by. Security is tight and each family fiercely guards their allotment, jealously keeping the buildings in perfect order in an effort to upstage each other.

The layer of the Abyss that is full of water that comes up to about the ankle and is filled with all manner of Chains, this is the place most Contractors obtain their Chains from and travel through. Time travels differently here, though, so when you enter may not always be when you return...

The deepest layer of the Abyss where time moves the quickest, those who remain here can endure for centuries if they so choose. Populated by dusty dolls and abandoned tea sets, it appears to almost have been a child's paradise before being abandoned.