TheFiveDragons
The five elemental directions are roughly represented as five seperate planets of Terrestial size. IE; an arctic world which is roughly the north, a green world which is roughly the east, etc. Many of the cities found in Exalted can be found on these worlds, such as Whitewall, Chiarascuro, etc. Politics with these nations is similar to the canonical setting as well, with a few tweaks.
-- Arbos --
Arbos is the counterpart to the East. It diverges from the canonical setting in several ways, but most important amongst them... certainly... is the Undying.
Largely abandoned by the civilized world, Arbos is thought to be a wasteland of barbarians and savages. The areas which have been conquered by Lookshy and 'rehabilitated' account for less than .04 percent of total surface area. Due to the fact that the Undying place little importance upon geological energy sources, this .04 percent encompasses nearly every currently known Manse upon the surface. Energy from these geological power plants is shunted to Lookshy proper, where it is beamed into space for use by the fleet.
Conflict between the Undying and the Dragonblooded is sporadic at best. The Undying are outmatched by the technological superiority of the Terrestials, and the Dragonblooded are wary of tormenting the Undying overmuch for fear of provoking another epidemic of The Consumption. Gods love Arbos as a rule, and many of the more powerful divinities in the System can be found taking up lairs within the 'primitive' cities of Great Forks or Halta.
Those who follow the religion of the Ancients believe that Arbos was the birthing place of all life in the system. The Titans crafted planets which were devoid of any biology, until the Ancients arrived upon the Ark. Humans and divinities both were created in an effort to make these barren worlds hospitable, along with the mythical 'Terraformers' (Celestial Exalted). Arbos, therefore, is thought to be both the birthplace of humanity and the Gods.
-- Vanin --
An arid desert world, Vanin is counterpart to the south in the canonical setting. While large portions of the world remain under the dominion of the Tri-Khahn, significant political power is wielded both by the Terros colony of Lap and the warlike nation of Harborhead.
-- Calis --
Calis is the counterpart to the north.
-- Deb --
Deb is the counterpart to the west.
-- Terros --
Terros is the counterpart to the Realm, and legend holds that Terros was the final world in the system to undergo terraforming. Concequently, everything that had been learned from the previous four attempts could be improved upon, and Terros is known as something of a paradise. All five elements are maintained in almost perfect balance here, making it an ideal residence for human beings. Terros is littered with convieniances the Ancients abandoned long ago, which many residents of the planet take for granted. The abundance of space elevators... 17 of them still functional... makes travel to and from the surface simple.
Terros is ruled by three seperate governments -- The Devanya, a militant warlike people who believe in the natural supremacy of the Dragonblooded race and eventually seek to exterminate baseline humans by virtue of a genocidal campaign. The Minos, a nation of sorcerers and demonologists who openly capitulate and negotiate with the Yozi. The V'neef, a merchant consortium of significant influence that occupies a position similar to 'The Guild' in the canonical setting.
