Zartiya

Flyers are enormous winged creatures that serve as the primary means of transportation in Zartia. They resemble large, furry animals (resembling cats or dragons), and they embody the freedom and magic of this world. Princess Zeina flies on one.

Toothies (or Toothies) are small, deceptively cute, furry creatures. They can reproduce in huge numbers, become aggressive, attack in packs, and lure travelers into traps (as happened at the abandoned lighthouse). The biomage Art has a soft spot for them. Creatures of the Dark Principality (Art's Creatures) are creatures artificially bred using biomagic. These include:
Werewolves;
Zombie;
Skeletons;
Golems.

Sirens are magical creatures that live on the Wonderful Island on the border of the Forest and Book Principalities.

The Stone Giants are enormous guardians of the Underground Principality, guarding the hall with the rune key.

Magical intelligent inhabitants (not animals, but indigenous inhabitants): Gingerbread men and living sweets (court ladies Cupcake and Eclair) from the Sweet Principality;

Harlequins are cheerful and carefree inhabitants of the Principality of Eternal Feast

A country located in the mountains, unlike the Dark Principality in the literal sense, hence its name. It is ruled by the arrogant and greedy Zlata. The state is known for its constantly working mines and untold riches. The mines are actually worked by the country's dwarves, and the treasury is guarded by "stone giants," who turn out to be mountain trolls. Color: orange or brown. The following are located here:

The Castle of the Underground Principality. A palace inhabited by Zlata, it also houses treasures, with a throne in the center of the hall.

The Underground Principality Mines. Mines to which the ruler once sent large numbers of her subjects. Currently inactive.

The Underground Principality Bar. A bar frequented by residents to relax.

The Hall of the Mighty Stone-Bearer. The hall that holds the rune-key to the Underground Principality. Guarded by Stone Giants.
Symbol:
Pentagon in the shape of a door
Terrain:
Mountains, dungeons

The Cloud Principality is one of the eight principalities of Zartia. It is inhabited by local elves.

The principality has a standing army, staffed by local elves. Claudius himself is the commander-in-chief, calling himself the Emperor (a triumphant general within the peace).
Symbol:
Two symmetrically located wings
Terrain:
Highlands, the highest mountains of Zartia, the highest peak in particular.

It stands on the plains, adjacent to Sweet. Its ruler is Prince Hurley. For a time, Otli, the ruler's assistant, ruled here before overthrowing him. Fearing discovery, Otli built the principality on constant entertainment, which is how the principality got its name. The architecture is characterized by tents and amusement rides. The native population is made up of harlequins, but residents of Sweet, Forest, Water, and even Underground Principalities also live here. Its color is scarlet-burgundy or burgundy-purple. The principality includes:

The castle of the Principality of Eternal Feast. Its exterior resembles a circus tent. It serves as the residence of Hurley and Otley. The chambers, throne room, and corridors with golden harlequin statues were shown. Here, the prince receives his subjects and hosts festivities.
Tent of Wonders. A tent with a machine inside, used to induce gambling addiction in players, allowing them to steal the items of those they cheat.
Fair. A fair serving as a place for trade and sales.

Symbol:
Four arcs in a diamond shape
Terrain:
Plain

A land of lakes and swamps, where buildings stand above the water. Tina, the swamp dweller, rules here and hosts her own television show. The architecture consists of futuristic structures composed of cylindrical supports extending underwater and domes housing buildings perched above. The structures are connected by pipes, and the tops of the domes have antennas, presumably for broadcasting programs, one of which Tina hosts. It is known for its princess's pathological desire to deceive. It is inhabited by mermaids and kikimoras. Whether the mentioned dim lights are sentient beings or monsters, or if not a weather phenomenon, is still unknown. Color: blue. Present:

The Castle of the Water Principality. A palace inhabited by Princess Tina and her court. Here, the princess receives guests and watches shows with her subjects.

Symbol:
Fish
Terrain:
Swamps, sea and islands

Right in the middle of the forest that covers the entire country stands the capital of the Forest Principality. The local ruler is the young Prince Dubomir, gallant and noble, but possessing an unusual sense of justice, a practitioner of magical botany, and unafraid of battle. He mentioned that his principality has many lakes, three of which have already been shown. Zart mentioned "diplomatic complications" when he said that he and Zeina would be unable to travel to the Isle of the Sienas (Sirens). Whether these are simply due to the aftermath of the schism or to additional conflicts is unknown. The principality is inhabited by elves, fairies, dryads, and forest spirits. Color: green. The following are located here:
The City. A bustling town, the floating inhabitants of which are completely undisturbed by the treetop location of most of the houses. A castle and an arena are located here. The architecture resembles a cross between tropical native and elven architecture.
The Castle of the Forest Principality. The palace where Dubomir and his entourage reside. There he also displays the fruits of his botanical labors, previously considered impossible, receives guests, and stores his treasures.
The Arena. An arena where magical competitions are held, judged by the prince himself. In reality, the competitions are purely about mastery of magic, without any fighting.
The Enchanted Thicket. A section of forest where Dubomir's second cousin lives by the lake. The lake, possessing immense power, is also located there. By preventing visitors who decided to work for her for a reward from using magic and punishing them for breaking their agreements, the sorceress cited the lake's whims; she controls it.
The wondrous island of the sirens. An island inhabited by sirens, located near the border with the Book Principality. By distorting the island's name and exploiting the passion of some young women for beauty, the sirens advertised a supposed "Boutique Salon of Magical Beauty Artifacts" located on the island, hypnotizing, capturing, and robbing those who came.
Symbol:
Christmas tree
Terrain:
Forests with many lakes

Sweet Principality
Occupying flat and desert lands, the principality abounds with magical sweets, replacing bodies of water, sand, minerals, trees, and so on. Even the local buildings are stylized as sweets, if not actually made of them. It is headed by Pastilina, a young prince even by the standards of the other princes. It is populated by compliant and fawning gingerbread men, who nevertheless harbor a grudge against their princess due to her whims. For unknown reasons, the use of flyers is prohibited here. As the name suggests, it specializes in sweets. Color: pink, or a combination of pink and blue. The following are located here:

The Castle of the Sweet Principality. Pastilina's residence and the work place of Cakey and Eclair, as well as Spicy Dan. Here, Pastilina stores important things, receives guests, and hosts celebrations. Located in the city.
The city. Located in the flat part of the kingdom, the city is populated by gingerbread men and lined with buildings presumably made of sweets.
Sugar Desert. A virtually uninhabited desert area on the outskirts of the Principality. Here, even the sand is sugar; piles of sugar cubes are everywhere, candy canes and wafer cacti protrude, and there's at least one pit of quicksand. Spicy Dan retreated here to live as a hermit when the residents began to fear punishment for his freethinking songs.
Cafe "Baranka". A country cafe located on the plains.
Symbol:
Rhombus with arcuate edges
Terrain:
Plains and desert in a remote part of the Principality.

Dark Principality
A gloomy country, sometimes even called Gothic, led by the biomage Art. It occupies a very rugged mountainous and forested terrain. It is known for its biomagic and the creation of mutants. Little is known about its population, but it is certainly home to creatures created by Art: zombies, skeletons, werewolves, and, apparently, golems. Its color is a combination of black and acid green, or purple. Much remains unknown, as the kingdom has rarely physically appeared. It is home to:

The Dark Principality Castle. A dark and grotesque Gothic castle where Art lives. Here he makes and stores potions and equipment, and also creates mutants, monsters, and other unusual creatures.
Symbol:
Circle
Terrain:
Mountains and forests

Neutral area (not a state)
A region that belongs to no principality. After the schism, it was largely abandoned. It is not inhabited by humans or other sentient beings, but wild animals and monsters do exist. Color is absent. The following are found here:

The Gate of Memory. An ancient portal in the center of the region. It was once used jointly by all the principalities for terraforming, but was abandoned after the schism. Apparently, it serves as a portal to Zartia, but it's unclear whether the Gate works in the opposite direction.
The Memory Gates. Eight ritual stones surrounding the Gates. They contain recesses for rune keys. By inserting all eight keys into their corresponding recesses, the Memory Gates can be powered sufficiently for terraforming.
Beacon Towers. Four mysterious towers located in the forest relatively close to the Gate. Their functions are unknown. They are so abandoned that monsters can ambush them.
Ritual Glade. A clearing in the center of the area, containing the Gates of Memory and keyholes. Despite some graphic material, its area is quite small compared to the forest and the entire area.
The Forest. A forested ring around the Ritual Glade, extending to the borders of the region. Lighthouse towers are located here. Despite some graphic material, its area is much larger than the Glade.

Situated in the highlands, the Book Principality is jointly ruled by Zart and Zeina. It appears to be a center of knowledge and technology, less developed in the other principalities. It's impossible to say for sure, but it's safe to assume its rulers played a special role before the schism. Zart mentioned "diplomatic complications" when he and Zeina were unable to travel to the Isle of Sien. Whether these are simply due to the aftermath of the schism or to additional conflicts is unknown. The population is unknown. Color: yellow or gold. The following are located here:

The Book Prince's Castle. The castle has a futuristic appearance, a huge library, and is home to Zart, Zeina, and Drew. It is also connected to underground passages.
Underground Passages. The castle's descent leads to a vast network of tunnels, allowing safe passage, at least to the Neutral Zone, if you know which direction to go.

Symbol:
Rhombus
Dragonfly (possibly)
Terrain:
Highlands with plateaus and forests

Like Dubomir himself, she is a forest dweller with distinctive pointed elven ears. She has wings behind her back, as she is classified as a fairy and can fly. Hairstyle and Face: She has refined features and long hair, seamlessly woven with elements of vegetation (leaves and twigs), emphasizing her connection to the magic of flora. Clothing: Liana's outfit is done in the natural green and brown tones of the forest style of Zartia, combining the formality of a business secretary-assistant with the lightness of a forest fairy.
Personality: Liana is the ruler's right hand. As expected, she is responsible and attentive. She is polite to guests and is happy to help with anything. However, she takes a negative view of those who disturb the peace.

A robot, a loyal servant of the Book Princedom, composed (by Zart and Zeina) of rounded parts. The upper part of the robot (the head) is a cylindrical piece with a semi-oval cutout at the bottom, as well as a movable speech synthesis mechanism and bullet-shaped eyepieces (eyes) attached to the front with yellow trim and oblong rectangular dark blue plates attached to the top, screwed into the surface of the eyepieces with bright yellow bolts. Atop the head is a low cylinder with a technical blue-gray band at the base of the crown. The spherical base contains rounded parts in the shoulder area with a copper-colored telescopic extension mechanism and three hinges of technical blue-gray color, holding the overall frame. The hand consists of a parallelepiped base of bright yellow color with a round image of a bolt head applied to the central part, as well as ball parts attached to the upper part of the base, fastened with copper rolling on the distal and proximal phalanges of the fingers. On the body, a pronounced image of vertical stripes of dark-pale blue color is visible on a light blue background with bright yellow buttons in the middle (the appearance of a "shirt"), on which a white "collar" protrudes, as well as a bolt head and a dark blue trapezoidal plate (the appearance of a "butterfly"). A black tailcoat with openings for the wheels and tails at the back is attached to the striped base. Above this is an oval-shaped, light-gray-blue drawstring with two large yellow buttons, a short sleeve protruding from the hinges, and bright yellow trim on the inside. At the bottom of the base are openings for adjusting its height, consisting of tubes with a telescopic mechanism, to the sides of which are attached wheels with yellow rims and spokes lining up a sunray pattern, and black tires, above which are attached iron fenders with yellow trim. The structure is held together by a ball, to which the wheels and tube are attached.

He wears a white officer's uniform with blue and gold trim. He carries a sword with a bright white blade and a gold hilt, stylized as the coat of arms of the Cloud Princedom. He has blue hair and eyebrows, gray eyes, and pointed ears. He wears a white and gold wreath on his head, stylized as a laurel wreath, with the front ends shaped like wings. His appearance is quite distinct from the other fearless, revealing his unique status.
Character: Stern, strong-willed, and collected, he takes Claudius's general orders and commands the troops directly on the battlefield to execute them if the prince is not present. Arrogant in his own way, he does not tolerate spies and their "masquerades" to infiltrate the Principality. Despite his bravery, he does not fight himself, theoretically using his sword only for self-defense. Like all fearless ones, the Officer idolizes Claudius and is ready to carry out any of his orders without hesitation and do everything to protect him. Although the commander is stern, he sincerely loves his soldiers, praising them for completing missions and giving them a relaxed daily routine after defeating the harpies.

Dubomir (17 years old) is a young man with pointed ears. He has fair skin with a rosy complexion and freckles on his cheeks, mobile, expressive eyebrows, and leaf-green eyes. His short blond hair is adorned with large gold rings woven into the strands. He wears a green shirt with offset gold buttons and trim; light green sleeves with yellow cuffs and brown bracers. A brown belt with a diamond-shaped buckle encircles his waist. Gray pants are tucked into brown boots with gold toes and tops. A short dark green cloak-hood lies over his shoulders, fastened with a leaf-shaped pin. Outside the city, he wears this hood, and in the city he puts on an arched crown, resembling a mixture of a laurel wreath and deer antlers; The center of the crown is inlaid with a triangular green crystal.

The image looks elegant and menacing at the same time.
Personality: Unlike Art, he is truly gallant, kind, and noble. He is passionate about magical botany and flowers, and has shown particular respect for Masha due to her magic and intelligence. He is responsible and places great emphasis on honor, duty, and justice.

Zart (16 years old) has fair, healthy skin and burgundy hair that curls slightly upwards; individual golden strands are visible among the strands, and beads are woven into his hair. His eyes are amber. On his head is a golden crown with two round red stones; the front of the crown is adorned with two pairs of straight, narrow, sharp horns. He wears an orange-yellow shirt with bishop sleeves reaching to the wrists. Over it, he wears a snow-white tailcoat vest with short, voluminous sleeves that accentuate his shoulders, a mid-rise collar, a small pocket, and gold buttons and trim. A yellow dragonfly is woven onto the back of the vest. An orange belt encircles his waist, from which hang three test tubes with cork stoppers. Around his neck is a gold necklace with a pendant in the shape of a diamond, the symbol of the Book Principality. Light brown pants are covered in subtle patterns: stripes along the thighs and orange circles with yellow trim at the knees. The legs are rolled up, revealing mismatched socks—one blue, the other brick-red. On her feet are yellow shoes with dark red soles and laces. The look is distracted, but creates a sense of genius; the diamond-shaped details emphasize her affiliation with the Book Principality.
Personality: Zart is a very energetic, intelligent, inquisitive, and kind guy, but naive, disorganized, and frivolous. At heart, he remains a little child, but he has a passion for experiments, which eventually bear fruit. He clearly doesn't notice Art's hypocrisy and his lack of organization greatly irritates Zeina. He can talk for hours about his achievements. Despite not personally casting spells, he knows a lot about magic, technology, the world, and other principalities. He is Zeina's older brother and his best friend, Art.

Zeina (15) has fair, smooth skin and waist-length burgundy hair, styled into tight curls. Individual gold threads are woven into the strands, and metal wires with beads are woven into the curls. Her eyes are a bright amber. A tiara crowns her head, the silhouette of which resembles two thin, sharp, straight horns; the tiara is adorned with two red stones of different shapes—one round, the other a teardrop. She wears mismatched gold earrings: a dragonfly on the right, and a circle outline with a small bead on the left. Zeina wears a dark orange turtleneck with short sleeves and yellow trim. Over this, she wears a white sleeveless top with gold trim: it has reinforced shoulders, a high, fitted collar, and open sides. The vest is adorned with two yellow ribbons bearing symbols: diamonds (similar to the Book Principality's symbol) and circle outlines (similar to the Dark Principality's symbol). A red belt encircles the waist; a chain of four rings hangs from it in front, and a dragonfly-shaped pin hangs from it in the back.

The skirt is three-layered: the top layer is a solid yellow with a darkened edge, the middle layer is white with a diamond pattern and a gold border, and the bottom layer is dark yellow with a white border. On the legs are long stockings with a diamond pattern and short orange shorts. White boots with red circles on the knees, yellow socks, and heels complete the outfit.

The whole look is elegant and yet warlike.

Personality: Zeina is responsible, somewhat strict, and proud, but not excessively so, and not to the detriment of her serious demeanor. She's quite straightforward and outspoken, sometimes sarcastic, but not rude. She's much more attentive, distrustful, and cautious than her older brother. Despite this, she also enjoys relaxing in a quiet environment and the little pleasures of life, like styling her hair; she's Zart's younger sister.

Tina is a young swamp girl, strikingly different in appearance from the other princes. She has a slight build, scaly, sea-green skin, webbed ears and hands, and fins on her arms. Light blue gills are visible on her neck. Her eyes are a deep violet. Her dark green hair is entwined with long seaweed.

The head is crowned with a five- or six-ray crown, decorated with pearls - both at the tips of the rays and at the base.

Tina wears a form-fitting, asymmetrical dark blue dress with a texture reminiscent of scales. A metal corset, apparently padded, encircles her waist. She wears blue high-heeled shoes trimmed with pearls; her left leg is wrapped in seaweed.

Her neck is adorned with pearl beads, held together by a ring. Her wrists are adorned with purple bracelets with cutouts for fins. Her nails are long and a deep sea green. Her lips are painted blue. A small silver hoop adorns her ear.

The image appears powerful and cunning, as befits a lying ruler.

Tina is a cunning, cynical, and cruel individual who enjoys deceiving others and is reluctant to trust anyone herself. She expresses her emotions exaggeratedly, is hot-tempered, capricious, cruel, and vile. She lives and amuses herself among noble water spirits and bully-folk. She enjoys tormenting the inhabitants of her principality who are not in her circle of friends, and she doesn't hesitate to threaten those who are. For her show, she captures travelers of interest and subjects them to cruel tests; if they fail, the victim is turned into a frog. Tina is not generous, and if services are needed, she will demand payment for them.

Zlata is a girl of strong build and average height (compared to the dwarves, she looks like a giantess). She has fair skin with rosy cheeks, shoulder-length hair (not braided) of a fiery red with golden highlights, and a long braid with a high, narrow elastic band (later, Bonya and Transparent secretly cut it to imitate the Mighty Stonecaster; her appearance afterward is not shown). Her eyes are sea green.

Atop her head is an ornate crown, composed of numerous crescent-shaped rays extending upward. Each of the rays is adorned with precious stones in shades of red, green, turquoise, gray, and violet-blue: some are embedded in the crown's frame, while others are positioned at the ends of the rays. The crown is topped with the symbol of the Underworld: a rounded rectangle on a stand with a crown on top. Threads of turquoise beads also extend from the crown, possibly strengthening its structure.

She wears a dark burgundy dress with short, shoulder-length, scalloped sleeves and gold trim. Around her waist is a gold belt, presumably a solid one bearing the symbol of the Underworld (see above). The hem of the dress is divided into a pointed front and a more rectangular back. She wears red bloomers and high boots with golden soles and heels.

Zlata has a wealth of accessories: ear piercings and an emerald stud on her left ear; a necklace with stones, a gold chain, and beads; four gold bracelets with red and green stones on her wrists; three gold rings, one with a crimson stone. It's worth noting that her outfit is strewn with jewels.

Zlata looks like the richest ruler with an abundance of gold elements and precious stones.

Personality
Zlata is arrogant and haughty, saying that she adores gems and that the gnomes are constantly getting jewels for their princess.

Pastilina is a young girl (about 7 years old), making her seem small compared to the other characters. She has fair skin, rosy cheeks, expressive eyelashes, a snub nose, and a childlike build. Her eyes shimmer with a gradient of pink and blue. Her hair is styled into a wig resembling a 17th-18th century wig: tall, elegant, and adding grandeur and height. The wig is pink and blue. A small tiara (though sometimes referred to as a crown) is pinned to a large central strand. It is devoid of adornment, emphasizing the heroine's status as a young princess rather than a majestic ruler. Pastilina wears a wide dress, presumably with a crinoline. The top of the dress is a deep pink chemise with a diamond-shaped pattern (the symbol of Sweet Principality) on a white background in front, complemented by a lace collar and short puff sleeves with wide pink and blue stripes. At the waist is a thin blue belt with a buckle shaped like a large yellow bead, tied in a bow at the back and decorated with a heart. The lower part of the dress consists of three layers: the top is a short, solid pink cape; the middle is the main pink skirt, covered with sweet sprinkles and a pattern of triangles and circles; and the bottom is a white skirt. On her feet are dark pink high-heeled shoes decorated with a yellow pom-pom with a blue tail.

The outfit looks appropriate for a princess, but not for the absolute ruler of the Sweet Principality.

Personality
Pastilina is a mischievous, capricious, and picky princess who adores sweets, but deep down she hates flattery and blind admiration and loves the truth. For this reason, she not only exploits most of her subjects but actually despises them. She's quite irresponsible, as she used her rune key as a nutcracker (apparently she doesn't even know how important it is).

Art is a 17-year-old boy, the ruler of a dark principality. He has pale skin, light gray hair, green eyes, and pointed ears. He wears a crown with a rounded, pale green stone. The back of the crown resembles horns. He wears an old-style gray and white shirt. He wears a black vest over it, which transitions into a cloak, with silver trim. His arm armor consists of a dark gray puff sleeve with non-contrasting stripes running across his shoulder and mid-shoulder. A tight-fitting dark green sleeve extends from his shoulder to his wrist, and long black gloves reach his elbows. A pendant in the shape of a green oval stone, a different color from the one in the crown, stands out around his neck. He wears high black boots that extend seamlessly from his light gray pants.

The image looks stately and confident, but at the same time mysterious.

Personality
At first glance, Art is a gallant romantic. But in reality, he's a narcissistic, manipulative, and cynical schemer.
Abilities: With the help of his magic, he can create and transform various creepy creatures, such as werewolves, zombies, or skeletons
I have a best friend, Zart, the ruler of the book principality.

Otley is a slender robot of average height, similar in appearance to his creator. He has curly dark blue hair with light green and sky-blue streaks. Like his creator, he has heterochromia: his left eye is red and his left eye is blue. Stripes are depicted on both cheeks and above his head, symbolizing part of the face, like a mask. He has dark blue eyebrows. The assistant suit Otley wore during the explanation of his position under Prince Hurley's reign looked almost identical to the ruler's own outfit, with the exception of minor details and patterns (the bead on the tail of his vest, the star-shaped collar, and the presence of a crown), as well as the color palette. It combined two main shades: burgundy (long tailcoat waistcoat and striped flared trousers) and yellow (cuffs, tailcoat collar, waistcoat trim with a double tail, star buttons and the sole of the monjari shoes), as well as a deep red-purple (waistcoat, bow tie, and also the top of the shoes, or rather, above the foot) with white (shirt under the waistcoat).
Character: loyal to Hurley, can do all of Hurley's work, such as signing government decrees and receiving guests

Hurley, ruler (17 years old) of the Principality of Eternal Joy, is a pvren of average height with light-pale skin. He has heterochrony, meaning his left eye is red and his right is blue. He has bags under his eyes. His hair is crimson with light turquoise streaks in the front (mostly around his bangs) and blue at the back, curling upward.
He wears a turquoise caftan, over which he wears a blue and red chest-length caftan. The right sleeve is blue and decorated with patterns of light blue, red, and light green four-pointed stars. The red right sleeve has the same patterns, but on the caftan. He wears a dark blue bow tie around his neck. The collar is shaped like a yellow star. He wears pants, the colors of which are in the following order: red, then dark blue. A canister, used to stop crackling and electrical overload, is attached to a brown belt. The cuffs of his pants and sleeves are yellow, and near the cuffs of his pants are orange stars with a gold border. He wears red boots with upturned toes. He usually carries a crimson cane, decorated with yellow stars, with a handle shaped like a yellow crystal. He also wears a crimson hat with gold decorations.
Character: cheerful, kind, active, loves to organize parties, has an assistant Otli

A 17-year-old boy, the ruler of the Cloud Principality, has fair skin, blue eyes, white hair and eyebrows (hair styled), and pointed ears. He wears a white uniform with gold buttons and a sharp golden pauldron on his left shoulder, which secures a blue stripe thrown over it. On his right shoulder is a blue epaulette or pauldron. He has a blue cloak with a golden outline of wings painted on it. His trousers are blue and his boots are black. He has a gold belt on his waist. He carries a sword with a bright white blade and a gold hilt, stylized as the coat of arms of the Cloud Principality. He wears a gold crown with blue stones on his head.

character: strict, disciplined, loves rules