WoE: Districts/Kingdoms

I'd like to help with Locations, Districts/Kingdoms, and Geology, seeing as all of those subjects go somewhat hand-in-hand. I'll draw up a quick map with my current ideas for continents, districts/kingdoms, and important locations soon.

I'll probably post similar things on all three threads, so if I post on multiple threads within a short time, you only need to read one of them (so save time).

 

This is an idea for a city/kingdom I've been considering. I'll edit it as I finalize some of the details or if suggestions come in.

Endymion:
Endymion is an important center of magic and knowledge. From the outside, it looks like little more than a fortified city; a high exterior wall encompasses the entire area, with four gates leading into the city. Passing though this wall reveals a very different picture; grand structures carved from white marble line the streets. The very air seems to dance with magical energy. Endymion is divided into six sub-districts: the North, the South, the East, the West, the Outer, and the Center Districts, each of which have their own highlights. The North District houses the Library of Endymion, an impressive institution and a gathering place for scholars and mages. The East District is home to the Elementary School of Magic, which teaches young wizards about magic and how to use basic spells. The South District features the Intermediary School of Magic, the equivalent of "middle school" for aspiring mages. It teaches students about the history of magic, as well as how to use spells that can be used in day-to-day life. The West District contains the Advanced School of Magic, which has separate institutions depending on which area of magic students want to study further. The Outer District, which surrounds everything else, is itself roughly in half. The northern half is where most of the merchants are, and the south has housing for the poorer residents. The Center District is dominated by a grand tower, the seat of power for the Archmage (who acts as the "king") and also home to the legendary Endymion College of Magic, where mages can expand their knowledge of magic even further and train to become mentors. The tower is also said to contain a powerful magical artifact from ancient times, but most regard it as nothing more than myth.
The city was built atop a sizable deposit of rare magical crystals, which the city uses extensively due to their properties. The mining, refining, and trading of these crystals is a major driving force of Endymion's economy. The schools of Endymion are even built with some of these crystals embedded into their walls. The crystals are a closely guarded treasure; the border patrol ensures that they only leave the city through trading caravans, not through the pockets of potential smugglers.

Culture: Endymion has a very scholarly atmosphere. School is in session nearly all the time; the only long break occurs after Graduation Day, and it only lasts for a month. Most of population consists of mages and scholars. Most of the residents are fairly wealthy and live their lives accordingly. Most of their time is spent studying or practicing magic. They take their studies very seriously; after all, magic is a hard thing to master.
Rituals/Celebrations: Graduation Day, Showcase of the Arts (multiple times per year)

 

Before I sketch up a map, I have to ask... About how many continents would be ideal? I personally think 5 is a good number. Smaller islands or subcontinents can be added if needed. 2 of the main continents could be ice caps, one on Eda's North Pole and one on the South Pole. One of them could predominantly be covered by a desert, another by a jungle, and the third by a moderate grassland. I'm just looking for a little bit of reassurance before I rush ahead.

 

Since I'm leaving for Boston later today, I just wanted to post what I have of the map now so you have something to work with. It's a pretty crude Photoshop job, I know, but I can spruce it up later. Note that the background color shouldn't be white, but the white within the circle should be.



This is just the eastern hemisphere, I haven't worked on the western hemisphere yet. Once both sides are finished, I can divide them up into the various kingdoms and name everything. I'm planning on having six continents instead of the original five, one of which will be basically a dark wasteland surrounded by a sea of fire (or lava, if that makes more sense). The ice caps have small habitable regions on the coasts, but are otherwise covered with glaciers. These are mostly uninhabited, except for a few nomadic tribes. The continent on the left has a more arid environment, and the middle and southern parts are covered mostly desert. The continent on the right has a more temperate climate, with forests and grasslands and the like. The little island beside it shares this climate.