Warden

tired and broke
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Preferred Character Gender
  1. No Preferences
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[dash=sand]World
Races
Religion and Ideologies
Politics and Factions
Concepts
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Timeline
Let's refer to the current RP date as AL [Alusine]. The current year is the 199th year of the Alusine calendar. The Primordial Order renames the calendar around the 200-year mark, following a cyclic pattern in their pantheon. The current calendar is dedicated to Alunsina, the goddess of the skies, but common translation from the Luzvimin and Lidaran peoples have shortened/bastardized the name to Alusine. Former shifts are usually categorized with a number before their names: ex. 2:AL, meaning, the second Alusine shift.
  • More than 1200 years pre-AL, the Empire began its expansion. Then, it was a basic monarchy pitted against clans who used classic weaponry such as bows, spears, and axes. The basic outline of the Primordial Order was formed.
  • Around ~1000 years pre-AL, it had already amassed a fair number of colonies within the soon-to-be Gualtierran continent—the Primordial Order was already a national institution at this point.
  • Around ~850, Gualtierrez commenced massive naval warfare with nearby countries as well as target archipelagos, and the Primordial Order expanded from a national church into an intercolonial religion as it was used as a tool of colonization. During this time, Lidarans have already settled as different clans over the wastes of Lida. Luzvimin was as of yet undiscovered.
  • ~650, descent of the Empire, slave-colonies who broke off discovered Luzvimin and pioneered the first settlements. Formation of an intra-Lidaran initiative called the Ironskins, a bunch of volunteers sworn to protect the settlements from hostile Magicals.
  • ~550 Ironskins became a paramilitary organization. Lidaran Magicals engaged in hostile combat for ~25 years before being temporarily driven off by an alchemical bioweapon, created by master alchemist Samara Sucre, grandmother of Alexander Sucre.
  • ~438 Alexander Sucre united Lidaran clans, Alexandria built within the same year using a prototype steam engine powered by the hot fumes of the Firelizard Pits.
  • ~437 - 400 Technological push throughout Lidara, each and every settlement is upgraded with basic steam-power engines. The Ironskins were reborn as the Steel Enclave under Sucre's hand, who oversaw the development of Lida before passing away from old age.
  • ~400 - 350 Lida continued upgrading its technology. Prototypes of aero- and solar-powered tech is presented in Alexandria. Settlements are developed accordingly by the Enclave once the trials succeeded. Almost, if not all, Lidaran settlements by this time have been rendered capable of self-sufficiency in terms of power source and food production. Lidaran pioneers began the push to expand into Luzvimin.
  • ~350 A Luzvimin coastal colony composed of Lidaran inventors exhibited the first case of Withering, instantly killing scores of Magicals who had been camped around the area and freely interacting with the humans prior. Magicals who stayed to investigate the case were weakened by the subsequent Withering.
  • ~300 Magicals retreated from civilization as technologies from Lida are introduced worldwide. Gualtierrez attempted to compensate.
  • ~200 The Magic Circle was formalized in the city of Aesyth, in central Luzvimin. The AL calendar begun the next year.
  • ~150 Most of the known world has been upgraded to using steam-powered technology, since those are the only ones allowed to be exported by the Enclave. The development of hybrid weaponry to compensate for the shortcomings of enchantment- the norm- was initiated.
  • ~AL: CURRENT TIMELINE

Currency and General Economic System

Gualtierrez: [Currency - Gualtierran peso, or just 'peso,' composed of quarters [centavo/s]. These are heavy medallion-like gold coins stamped with the profile of the current ruler on one side and the Carnation of Gualtierrez on the other. The coins are recalled and reminted at the death of a ruler and the succession of an heir, making some preserved pieces extremely valuable for collectors and loyalists. Gualtierran economy draws heavily from maritime trade sourced from its coastal villages and island colonies. Their artisans and intellectuals are also considered the best in Luhain, prompting many budding industries to court their employment, and Gualtierrez is still widely regarded as the primary source of luxury goods throughout the world. Mass production and R&D for naval warfare, as well as the training of ground troops, fluffs up a chunk of the gross national product. The Queendom and its colonies fully use the currency system.

Luzvimin: [Currency - Gold/Silver pieces, 'gp/sp' for short. A simple round coin emblazoned with the logo of the Luzvimin Alliance. 1 gp is equivalent to 10 sp.] Primarily a resource and food supplier to the other continents, Luzvimin manages to thrive in a nearly-equal mix of bartering and money-based exchange.

Lida: [Currency - Lidaran paper bills, or just 'bills/credits.'] The idea of a uniform currency did not sit well with the clans and settlements of Lida, entrenched as they were in the ages-old bartering exchange in the unforgiving wastes. Only now that the continent has turned into a technological power—exporting processed products, valued ores and rare alchemical reagents—does the old economy seem to be shifting, but only just and limited to the most developed centers. The Steel Enclave's continuous support for the technological advancements of the Lidaran collective has buffed export capabilities while minimizing local deficits, though now they are spending quite a bit on squadron outfitting, weaponry, and other military R&D.

Mind that there are clear exceptions to these observations.

World Exchange [BASIS; not strictly followed in the RP] = 1 peso -> 5.7 gp/57 sp, 2 credits
1 credit -> 2.9 gp/29 sp, .5 peso/2 centavos

Price Sampling [gp/sp]
  • Prized alchemical reagents: ~1,000 gp due to economic sanctions, preservation techniques, and quality.
  • An average potion: ~200 gp
  • A kilogram of apples: 100 - 140 gp, based on type, quality, and shipping.
  • A kilogram of fish: 60 gp for the poor man's fish, the cheapest medium-sized fish on the market.
  • Minimum wage: ~650-800 gp per fortnight


Press F to pay respect.

Subject to updates.
 
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World
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Welcome to the world of Luhain.


Continents
Gualtierrez
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An ancient empire, steeped in history so far-reaching that it no longer bothered to trace its achievements. Visitors of the illustrious lands are often treated to the sight of massive citadels and towers definitely not familiar in design. Every scarred wall told a story, the last whispers of a civilization that had either bent the knee to the Gualtierran scourge or defied it down to the last man. The kings and queens of Gualtierrez led a chain of successful military campaigns against wandering clans that had dared to encroach upon their territory and, when those had proven easy prey, the neighboring countries. Like a lion fat on the kill, the Empire swarmed to an enormous size, its armies and navy the waking nightmare of the known world—until an insurrection crippled the monarchy. This was further compounded by consecutive rebellions and a bloody coup d'etat decades later, which several colonies took as an opportunity to break free.

Out of the Empire's mainland, Magical communities can thrive, albeit they're pushed to the brink of the continent. They have more luck in islands near the coast, or on fringe communities, and maybe some Magicals even settled near the Black Isles—where it is rumored that an ancient and unspeakable horror sleeps, where the skies still and the wind quiets with unnatural speed, where the sea is littered with the remains of a thousand ancient warships jutting out amongst the ragged stone behemoths framing the Isles. Gualtierrans avoid it well, and even if some Otherfolk choose to stay on the surrounding sites, most avoid the largest landmass at the center.

Currently, Gualtierrez is led by the warrior-queen Graciela. Though its military is still a formidable asset in its own right, the mention of the Gualtierran Empire no longer inspires the same terror it did at its prime.

Gualtierrez = Gualtierran
Lida
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Dry lands, ferocious beasts. The continent of Lida was a harsh place, but those who lived in it—and survived—were made of a different constitution entirely. Though it took the efforts of one Alexander Sucre to unite the scattered settlements into making a collective effort, the Lidarans have already been thriving on their own, be it by creating crude tools with which to hunt or brewing potions which numbed their stomachs to ill-tasting fish. When Sucre brought these hardened wanderers together, an explosion of inventions practically washed over the continent starting from the Firelizard Pits, with one settlement after the other rising up as a technological masterpiece. Sucre and his Enclave made sure that even the humblest village was rendered capable of self-sufficiency and defense against the ferocious Magicals of the wastes.

The greatest city in Lida was built on the aforementioned pits, where poisonous waters and wild vegetation choked the life out of any attempt at civilization. When Sucre suggested his idea to build a fortress there, many laughed and called him a fool. Long, painful months later and behold—Glorious Alexandria, a marvel of engineering and industry, now rising above the arid plains, where its awe-inspiring outline can be seen throughout Lida.

Reminding each and every soul of the power of the human spirit.

Lida = Lidaran
Luzvimin
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Little of note can be said about Luzvimin, except that it is a veritable paradise of resources. Glittering streams, lush forests... The humans who settled in the land had little to work for, because the world gave what they needed to them. Their settlements, oddly enough, didn't show any signs of Withering, which drew Magicals as close as they dared. In this life of tranquility and contentment there was little cause to mobilize, and thus the people lived isolated from each other for nearly most of their lives.


Luzvimin = basically which place they're from, or if they were born there, "local." Calling a Luzvimin local "Luzvimindan" shows that you're a foreigner/unaware of common customs.

Countries and Cities

Calella de Parafrugell
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Florencia Island
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Far from the glaring beams of Calella’s lighthouse lies a slumbering volcano. Smoky wisps form lazy rings round the lips of this dormant beast but that remains the only signs of life for the last three centuries. Trees sprung up in countless numbers from the cooled ashes and they conquered most of the northern and eastern regions. The southwestern region forms a front where march begins the falter. The lush foliage thins gradually, giving way to scattered palm trees among the velvety sands of the beach. Hugging the island are deceptively calm navy waters that beckoned many into a watery grave. It is along this twenty-five mile sandy stretch that humans and carbuncles built their villages. One on the cliffs and the other on the mudflats. Highly tolerant of one another, the two communities work together to satisfy Calella’s demand for seafood, especially the deep sea Kawele'a (a fish nicknamed the salmon of Gualtierrez).

[By @Fox of Hearts]
An ivory citadel towers over the ships pulling into the harbours of Calella de Parafrugell. The pristine condition of the walls flaunts the wealth and power held by the governors of this whitewashed city on the shores of western Gualtierrez; a view so awe-inspiring that the beauty of the surrounding alabaster cliffs pales in comparison. Unlike the more established cities further inland, most of the power lies in the hands of the nouveau riche, the Gualtierrean merchants who flocked to Calella to seek their fortune. These indulgent gentry lord over a population numbering eight thousand. Of which, less than five thousand are citizens of the queendom. The remaining are foreigners who come and go with the changing trade winds.


Map of Luzvimin (WIP)
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Races

  • Humans. The representative of the word 'mortal'. Their endurance and tenacity, not to mention their intelligence, has enabled their kind to survive in the world. As of the moment, they occupy an indisputable position as the most populous of the races, and continuously seek to acquire new land for their ever-growing communities.

  • Magicals. Referred to as Others or Otherfolk, though in truth the term encompasses a broad set of subraces. Magicals are nonetheless united under the distinction that they are creatures born of magic, meaning that most—if not all—are natural spellcasters at birth. Possessed of an unnaturally extended lifespan and an indescribable connection to their surroundings, Magicals enjoyed their seemingly unending peace... Until the humans pushed forth. With them came the Withering of magic, an unknown but potent phenomenon which affected its children adversely—for the first time, the Magicals knew sudden mortality. Combined with their nonexistent birth rates, this led to an unprecedented and rapid downfall in the population of those who had dared to settle near the burgeoning cities. As the humans tamed more and more of the wilderness, the Magicals retreated deeper into the unknown, away from the 'human plague'.


Subraces
Magicals
Carbuncle
[By @Fox of Hearts]
Ancient tablets and scrolls often depict fishtailed part-humans living in cities under the sea. Although there are no credible eyewitness accounts, many shipwrecked sailors claimed they were saved by mermaids. These stories were the reason countless scholars sailed across the seas to find tangible proof of the existence of this Magical. Solid evidence only came to light less than a century ago thanks to the invention of sonar graphs and diving suits.

Franklin J. Hart (95 to 5 years pre-Req) was a cartographer who dedicated his life to creating underwater maps of the ocean floor. It was during one such expedition that he accidentally discovered the ruins of cities nestled in trenches under the waters of the Algerian sea. Artifacts retrieved from these sites date an astounding five thousand years pre-Req, making them among the oldest civilisations recorded to date. Piecing together archeological evidence from these cities led scholars to hypothesize that the carbuncle, a coast dwelling water sprite, could have descended from these merfolk. It is a reasonable conjecture given the the strange appearance of this water sprite.

Reaching the height of a human child (approx. 2’1 to 2’5), the carbuncle are often described as friendly, leporidean “merfolks”. They stand out among all the other subspecies of water sprites because of their rabbit ears and koi fishtail. No other water sprite species in Luhain have these features; most tend to appear more fairy-like, sporting legs and wings. Carbuncles, like most water sprites, also have a natural affinity for water and healing magic.

Important Footnote: There is only one carbuncle community living in Gualtierrez but there are probably two or three carbuncle communities in Luzvimin.


Tiefling
@Rosé Moon
Found on a sizable island, due south of the Black Isles called Vi'eeks, the Tiefling are a race mysterious to the inhabitants of most of the world. To most of those in Gualtierrez, or Lida, the red-skinned, horned creatures are but myths. Word of mouth describes these creatures as 'demons' or 'imps' and, to be honest that is fair. Each Tiefling is adorned with a pair of horns. The size, and shape are usually signs dominance or honor among males of the race, while the length and strength of a tail shows the same for females.

The Tieflings are divided around Vi'eeks in three major tribes; the Ulo (Uw-low), Yio(Yee-oh) and Bo'eek (bOH-ex). The difference between these three tribes are their ability (or lack thereof) to use magic. The Bo'eek, have a connection to magic very similar to the humans and Otherfolk. They can practice to master the use of an element of nature and the such. Such peerless use of the power placed them in the top tier of their home. Right beneath them is the more primal, beast tribe of Ulo. In the Ulo tribe, magic is granted to young Tiefling after discovering their beastly avatar by the tribe Shaman. Once endowed by this Shaman the Ulo-Tiefling's are granted enhanced physical attributes that increase more and more, in correlation to their emotion, and will to survive. Finally, their is the Yio, located at the bottom of the peaking order. Where the Bo'eek and Ulo use their power to wage battle against one another, the Yio have a much more subtle power. An enhanced form of suggestion. While these powers might've been useful if the Yio-Tiefling lived in the mainlands, on Vi'eeks, it has made them the most povershed tribe which can only scavenge the leftovers of the Bo'eek and Ulo.

Like most Otherfolk, which is probably what those in Gualierrez and Lida would call the Tiefling, they live far longer then an average human. The Tiefling calendar (one of the contributions of the Yio tribe) spans one Tiefling year in the length of five human years.


Yilani
@SilentxChaos
PLACEHOLDER
 
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Religion and Ideologies

The Primordial Order
"The World Unending."

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The Order—or the Gualtierran Church, to detractors—believe that magic is the lifeblood of the world. It was gifted to the mortals by the Gods, and to transform the flow of magic or harm its children in any way is blasphemy to the Order. However, they do not look upon spellcasting and enchantment with favor—in the Order's eyes, to do so is to borrow the essence of magic, thus interrupting its unadulterated flow.

Interestingly enough, the pantheon as well as the ideology originated from the southern tribes that were assimilated into the Empire during its colonial decades, try as the Order would to deny it.

The Order has the distinct 'responsibility' of renaming the international calendar every two hundred (200) years, and they usually use the names of the gods and goddesses in their pantheon. This formal edict, however, does not stop anyone from shortening the calendar terms for easier use.
Pantheon:
Bathala, the All-Being, Primogenitor of Creation, whose blood and tears became the stream of magic.
Mangatia, the Weaver, whose hands constructed the weave of the universe, the stars and the skies.
Alunsina, the Lightbringer and the Stormguard, who blesses us with the light in the skies and the grace of the winds.
Lakambini, the Incomparable Beauty and the Pure, who gave us our joy and our festivities to give color to our lives.
Mapulon, the Keeper of Seasons and Husband to Lakapati, who sustains our fields and our bodies.
Lakapati, the Good, our Beloved Earth-Mother, whose love is seen in every prosperous field and bountiful harvest, in the sway of full-grown flowers in the meadows, and under the shade of looming trees.
Ynaguinid and Malanduc, the First Conquerors, War and Poison, whose spirits manifest both in the warborn and the weak, in the steadfast and the treacherous.
Apolaki, the Sun Lord, whose eyes see all below and burn the wicked with holy light and imbue the just with wisdom.


The Steel Enclave
"The World is Ours."

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Formed by Alexander Sucre, the Enclave began as a humble collection of like-minded individuals determined to survive in the unforgiving wilderness of Lida, called the Ironskins. The organization quickly attracted entrepreneurs with its direct and practical ideology, and what was once a group of pioneers became a coalition of businessmen, inventors, and patrons—and their guardsmen. Under the Enclave, settlements became thriving cities with novel technologies, and it was from the continent of Lida that true industrialization began.

The Steel Enclave publicly supports and all efforts for industrialization and resource acquisition. Its leadership is rooted in the belief that humanity was placed in the world for a reason, and this reason is to create an utopia where all mortals can live in peace and comfort. Mockingly named as the 'Cult of Sucre' by the Primordial Order, the Enclave nonetheless presents an impressive—and threatening—image of social, economic, and military might.
 
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Politics and Factions

The Lucieri
[a.k.a "Lucents"]
The Lucieri began in Lida, as a small band of individuals who protested against the vehemence and racial prejudice promoted by Samara Sucre's creation. The aftermath of the bioweapon's widespread production and use against hostile Magicals, and increasingly against the innocent members of their kind, created a political dissonance betwen those who saw the moral issues of the weapon, and those who saw the benefit of its strength.

However, the Lucero—an extrajudicial organization fighting for the purported rights of both Magicals and humans—originated from Gualtierrez's 'freedom fighters' and guerilla units (often composed of mixed Magical and human troops) that fought for their homeland, and the obliteration of the Empire's institutionalized slavery. The Gualtierran 'branch' was more organized and numerous thanks to its longer history, but also far less visible due to the clandestine nature of their work, which took center stage during the slave uprisings leading to the fall of the Empire. Only when the Lidarans initiate contact did the organization itself form, becoming later on the Lucieri.

Lucieri agents usually operate on their own, meaning that they take on a wide variety of issues all related to the pursuit of the common good, but they can rely on other members for support and resources. They do not have longstanding armies of either the Primordial Order and the Steel Enclave. Instead, the members pool a monthly 'organization tax,' cushioned by the financially capable members, and hire freelance mercenaries as additional manpower.

The Lucieri is widely regarded as a good, if not annoying, peacekeeping organization working behind-the-scenes, except in Gualtierrez where their anti-imperialist background has caused clashes with the monarchy.


Luzviminda Alliance
[Capital: N/A]
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The Alliance is, basically put, every clan chief, mayor, governor, and noble family in Luzvimin united in a pact to resist both the influence of the Queendom and the Republic. With the lush continent smack in the middle of the two sides, thus affording great tactical advantage to whomever may win full Luzvimindan support, this neutrality is tolerated—if not supported—by both the Primordial Order and the Enclave. It doesn't stop them from setting up outposts or trying to convert far-flung towns, however.

Asides from the Alliance and the annual continental meet in one of the larger cities, each settlement is largely left to its own devices, leading to Luzvimin's quaint, semi-urbanized feel.

Notable member-states: Aesyth, Eastmire


The Magic Circle
[Location: Luzvimin, Aesyth]
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If there was one thing, and just one thing, that both the Primordial Order and the Enclave agreed on, it was that magic was a powerful force. Doubly so were mages that could utilize their arts effectively. While spellcasting was weaker within developed areas than it is in the embrace of nature, a novice mage could still inflict a fair amount of damage... Which led to the legalization of the Magic Circle.

A bad name, to be sure, and most often called it simply the Circle. It was a league of the most learned witches and wizards—led by a formidable sorceress called the Magemother—in the lands. Currently, it occupies the dignified position of an official Mage Guild. All mages are required to enlist in the Circle soon as they showed the signs of elemental control- and if the individual refrained from using the Circle's education system, they would still have to get a permission letter signed by the Magemother and several other troublesome documents proving they were going to be taught by a satisfactory model. As the years passed, the Circle's duties ballooned into ridiculous proportions: now, it was tasked to be the sole producer and distributor of enchanted goods, charms, and potions- asides from certified artisans in prominent cities—not to mention the place to go for a permit if one so much as utilized a whiff of magic in any public endeavor. The Primordial Order and the Enclave, for their own respective reasons, kept piling on the duties- and some began to whisper it was the start of an anti-magic agenda.


The Queendom of Gualtierrez
[Capital: Asturias]
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The Primordial Order is the main religion of the Gualtierran Empire, colonies included, and its High Bishop is a direct confidant of the Queen-Commander. Even without the direct support of the monarchy—indeed, Gualtierran history recorded the decisions of some Kings and Queens to eschew the 'meddling' of the clergy—the Order still holds significant social and cultural sway, as well as a healthy following from commoner to noble alike. This is primarily how it has survived for so long.

Gualtierran aristorcratic hierarchy has the following stages, from the highest to the lowest: Emperatriz/Reina (Empress/Queen), Duque (Duke), Marqués (Marquis), Conde (Count), Barón (Baron), and Señor (Lord). While chosen commoners and esteemed knights can rise to the first two tiers, all the other ranks are composed purely of 'old blooded' Gualtierran nobility.

While the politically correct term to describe the continent is as a "Queendom", most—if not all—of the Gualtierrans refer to themselves as citizens of the "Empire", which is what Gualtierrez had been called during its expansionist phase.


The Republic of Sucre
[Capital: Alexandria]
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The Republic and the Steel Enclave—more a Guild than a religious organization—are fiercely protective of their technological advancements; only in recent decades have their steam-based engines graced the ports of foreign countries.

Lidaran politics is simple, following the practical mindset of its people: every settlement has its own Governor. The Governors vote for and elect Senators from their ranks, which are basically still Governors but now with the added burden of making sure everyone in their district is healthy and alive. The Congress answers to a Supremo, who is elected by the Senators. Everyone is, basically, sackable. If you don't like a law one of the Senators made, you can even dispute them.

Their drive to enter into a richer, more valuable continent has them at odds with the Gualtierran Queendom, for the obvious ideological clash down to a myriad of other factors. While not formally declared enemies, the two factions are nonetheless engaged in a cold, somewhat tense relationship.
 
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Concepts


  • Withering: A seemingly random phenomenon where the magic in an area 'dries out'. Magicals who are present during a Withering are grievously harmed if not outright killed, for they are drained of their life essence. Mages, Magicals, and sensitive humans are far more attuned to this event, with the former two gaining a significant hit to spellcasting power. For now, the only clue that has been had of this catastrophe is that it follows the occupation of any locale by humans, although the speed of the Withering varies greatly after an initial, often fatal, shock.

  • The Red Plague: [TBA]
 
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