#all the little faeriefolk <3 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

edgemarquis · 7 years ago

Text

i’m just making a big, big post here, pooling all of my everything from World Building June last year as an easy way to compare it to how this universe has changed and been refined over the course of a handful of months while i re-do WBJ again. incorrect categories are marked for my convenience. *** is to be entirely re-written, ** is generally alright but needs revision, * is only loosely changed.

Day 1 - Introduction

I guess I’m cheating, a little, because this is a world I’ve been constructing for some time, but I intend to go into a lot more detail than I ever really did as far as writing down/explaining it to anyone else goes. Anyway!

It’s a high-fantasy world, where the more fantastical elements have been ravaged by a man who would prefer to shape the planet to his own ideals, and the moreso magical beings are nearing extinction. The Shieldwall Empire, in the midst of its Industrial Age, has crushed three of the four major continents under its heel, and it’s only a matter of time before the fourth falls under its flag.

This thing started out as a question of working magic into the creation of the world, something along those lines, and if I could come up with something that logically made sense to me (with some minor suspended disbelief but, y’know.) The magic I’ve written wobbles between spiritual and scientific in presentation and explanation, and I wanted to explore how things would be different with this magic present in everyday life.

Day 2 - Geography************

Not shown: the ‘uncharted’ and fourth major continent, currently only referred to as the Unknown World, and the locations of the major cities (who keep jumping around recently, so I’ll get back to you on those.)

Day 3 - People & Races*

The races are kinda basic, except I threaded them all as, when you get right down to it, a singular species. There’s humans, of course, elves, Novuns, and the only group that aren’t in the same species category, faeriefolk.

Humans are your typical humans, save for the fact that they’ve been so moved around, enslaved, and war-torn that most of them are of mixed descent and only a few of them actually know their entire lineage. The past two generations, though, have been able to settle down, so some of that state pride has returned to them, along with their racisms. Humans, however, have always been significantly racist to those more magically-inclined, whether they’re human or not. I guess it gets a little twisted up here, ‘cause elves and Novuns are technically as human as the staple humans, but magic has affected them in more visible ways. We’ll just start at the beginning.

Novuns were the first ‘humans’ on the planet. Of course they’ve adapted and such throughout the millennia, but humanity began as Novun. Modern Novuns are called ‘dragons’ by people nowadays (nowadays being the 1840s, mind,) and the term is considered a slur. Novuns claimed most of Bersia for years and years, living somewhat peacefully alongside the fairiefolk races. The earliest practiced magic was healing and shapeshifting, with Novuns naturally shifting in and out of what we would consider a dragon.

It might get a little confusing, because historic Novuns are the evolutionary grandfathers of humans, elves, and the people who have kept the old shapeshifting magic alive who are, by the Empire, still referred to as Novuns. Which is in itself racist. But! Moving on!

So evolution, all that. There’s Modern Novuns, thriving in Bersia and Cynesis. They have a nice little kingdom in Cynesis. By now, most of them are in the brown to black skin tone. Elves, who are a nomadic people dotted all over the world, ranging in skin colors and hairiness and build. Faeriefolk, who are dwarves, fairies, sprites, and some elemental wiggles.

From the fourth continent came a massive faeriefolk race, the giants, and they brought with them a collection of weak-willed, short-living people who were clearly Novuns, but something was wrong. Most of them had little to no magical connection at all. They viewed the giants as gods, and revered them. These were humans, who were basically bred by the giants to be slaves. The Novuns didn’t take kindly to the giants, who were a pushy lot, and this started what humans now refer to as the Gods’ War. The Novun army won, the giants were slaughtered, a lot of faeriefolk died and that’s too bad, the Novuns took the humans under their wing and the Novun kingdom expanded.

Somewhere down the line a group of elves banded together, overthrew the Novun kingdom, slapped a big banner on a mountain of blueish stones and proclaimed that they were ‘the Bluebloods’. This was really embarrassing to the rest of the elvish tribes who, putting it nicely, disowned them. These Blueblood elves didn’t mind, they were busy building an empire of their own. Because elves are petty, they squashed the surviving Novuns on Novus Isle, excluding the humans who were wonderful slaves and worth it to keep around.

The humans were strengthened somewhat by their time with the Novuns, and of course rebelled. They split into their own countries and kingdoms and city-states and lived happily ever after, until this one asshole came along and decided he wanted his own empire, just like the giants and elves in the past. And so this is where our races stand now: humans make up the bulk, the elves are blocked off on Bluestone Isles in a hilarious parallel to how they blocked off the Novuns on Novus Isle (who are still blocked off on Novus Isle, and basically extinct,) and a couple dwarves and fairies are still alive, but faeriefolk are considered extinct.

Day 4 - Cultures*

Culture is noticeably different across the continents, despite being fairly generally uniform under Titus’ rule. The continents (Bersia, Cynesis, and Proles, for reference,) were once divided into countries, especially when Novun and elves were majority.

The Shieldwall Empire had humble beginnings as a port city, and this shows throughout most of the cities in Western and Southern Bersia. Everything - from the people to the buildings - seems weathered. As if to combat that, Bersia’s calendar is full of celebration and holidays. The Month of Conquest (third of every year,) and the Month of Self (eighth of every year,) are the most notable, with the Month of Conquest being the busiest in terms of tourism. During festivities Bersians are colorful and exuberant, both in behavior and decoration. They are a people who put art on a high pedestal and are known for their architecture, music, and fashion. It’s only with the rise of Titus II has the culture become engulfed in militarism, though Bersians have always been strongly nationalist - their nationalism is, arguably, why Bersia is the stronghold of the Shieldwall Empire. They prioritize the Empire, and their people, over the individual. Ceremony is an enormous part of Bersian culture, from birth to death, and respect is mandatory. Cynesian culture is less strict. While the Empire’s militarism carries over, Cynesians are generally more passive when it comes to expressing it. They recognize cultural differences, especially between ‘humans’ and elves, and generally embrace it. In Cynesis, the calendar is expanded to celebrate minority celebrations and days of worship. Religion has a stronger presence across Cynesis than in Bersia (though that comes on a different day, so I won’t get into specifics yet.) Agriculture is Cynesis’ biggest export, showing in the larger families. While not as technologically advanced as Bersia, they accept the Empire’s innovations readily, but don’t seem keen on straying far from their homey, familial way of life. They, too, keep art in high regard, with a focus on storytelling, verbal and otherwise. Proles, before the Magissian-Shieldwall War, was similar to Cynesis. Their culture relied heavily on magic, and it was in constant use no matter the task. The Magissian Kingdom was, almost entirely, gender nonconforming in Bersian and Cynesian terms, with the Prolish people identifying upon a wide spectrum as they so pleased - if there was use of identifiers at all, which there often wasn’t. Prolish people followed the old calendars and old religions, praying weekly to their gods and offering gifts to those whose favour they needed at the time. They were strongly environmentalist and opposed Titus II and his innovations, preferring to work with what magic has given them and building onto that.

Day 5 - History**

Since I kinda went into this on a previous prompt, I’ll just detail the Shieldwall Empire’s history (and the real one, unlike what it’s presented as by the novel’s mc.) In 1528-29, the ‘humans’ have broken away from elvish rule and scatter, building homes and towns and names for themselves, and the Council, which had formed during the rebellion, mostly disbanded. By 1548 most of these had names, and several deemed themselves as truly independent: Shieldwall Kingdom, Magissian State, Eastwind City, and Whitecliff Kingdom. Westerlyn was formed in the mid-1600s after a dispute between Magissian magi, while Whitecliff merged with what was left of the Bluestone elves. Titus Blackmoore and his twin, Thibault, were born when Shieldwall was nothing but a confined kingdom, led by a selfish, cruel king. They were raised during a tumultuous time of slow take-over across the continents of Bersia and Cynesis, and moved from Proles to Bersia during this time. (It’s debated that the king spearheaded the empire that Shieldwall would later become, as Titus has no blood connection to its first king and has never seemed to revere him in any way.) Westerlyn booms, despite its frigid bitchiness in terms of “only magi allowed.” Westerlyn and Shieldwall declare themselves as allies until their eventual merge, and Westerlyn is crowned as the kingdom’s capital, these things happening in rather quick succession after Westerlyn’s head honcho, Lord Othowinski, dies by a great and terrible fire (now coined the Hundred Years’ Fire, as it burned seemingly endlessly and ruined much of the Bersian coast.) Titus is 16 when he attempts a demonic summoning without his master’s guidance, his master being Othowinski, and this of course goes horribly wrong. Blaming the demonic arts rather than his own foolishness for the death of his father, Titus forms the Free Man’s Movement (which is a throwback to the Free Man’s Rebellion, back under elvish rule.) The Movement begins what will later be a violent and aggressive anti-magic campaign, as well as what raises Titus to power in the eyes of the Bersian people. Titus immediately dons the title of ‘Emperor’ and, practically overnight, the people find themselves under imperial rule, and the Shieldwall Empire is born.

Day 6 - Civilization & Architecture

Shieldwall architecture first followed that of the Bersian Blueblood elves: lavish and vast plantation-type estates, made of strong stone and pale wood, typically only two storeys tall. It was elegant in a more simplistic approach, leaving the finest details to the wide windows and interior decor, providing a pretty backdrop that was easy on the eyes and weathered Bersian storms well. A small handful of Old Bersian architecture still exists, Lord Mavik’s grand estate being the most well known, along with several shops in Merchant’s Alley. With Titus’ rise to power, a new fashion swept the country alongside the technological boom. To support the sudden population growth as well as trying to improve quality-of-life, the architecture quite literally skyrocketed. The residentials were stuffed with raised terraced housing. These were first tested in the poorer neighborhoods around the Factory District, and were mostly a success. Terraced housing soon swept the city. Buildings were rebuilt taller to avoid the flooding. Sidewalks were raised like little bridges for more gutter room. The architectural style turned away from a simplistic look to something far more intricate and ornamental (think gothic architecture for an easy reference.) Even nobles live in terraced housing, yet their walls aren’t joined, and they’re given the luxury of tiny front and back gardens. Other Bersian architecture followed the new trend, but it’s a mix of old and new wherever you go, and no one’s quite got flood-avoidance down to an art form as Shieldwall architects have. Cynesis architecture is open, airy, and designed to keep buildings cool. Windows are large, and some buildings have entire walls that function like shutters if they aren’t made of clay. The current craze is indoor-gardens and open- or cloth-ceilings, often combined. Ponds and lush gardens are almost mandatory, and many buildings sport creeping vines, even in the bustling Eastwind City. Many of the most important buildings are made almost entirely of glass - specifically temples of faith (currently unnamed because I’m terrible.)

Day 7 - Economy* (for “big export is fishery”)

Shieldwall City’s big export is fishery, and has been for hundreds of years, followed closely by precious stones. With Shieldwall’s recent industrial revolution, their best moneymaker has become VitaFuel and the technology that relies on it, from lighting to railcars and motorized cars to airships. In terms of wealth, they’ve surpassed the once-leading Cynesis in leaps and bounds as everyone scrambles for their new gadgets. Cynesis economy is mostly ruled by agriculture and exporting ‘exotic’ goods to the richies in Bersia. In the Underground, they’re also known for their vast and complex slave trade, where it’s commonly said “anyone can buy anyone for the right price.” Whether the government in Cynesis collects from their black market is uncertain (spoiler: yes, they definitely do.) The Empire has relied on coin money for a very, very long time. It’s only very recent (a year prior to the first novel) that paper money is introduced. Cheques were actually common amongst the upper class before paper money was officially introduced, but Shieldwall nobility is always ahead of the times anyway, and deemed as more trustworthy besides. Though Shieldwall’s biggest cry is to care for one another, the Empire doesn’t do much for its lower classes. Elves, at the bottom of the barrel, are given worker’s permits only if they’re deemed worthy, but aren’t truly considered citizens until they’ve worked within the confines of the capital for 50-80 years, which isn’t too bad for elves, all things considered. The working class are, in Shieldwall, the poor class. With such a steep difference between privileged and poor there’s definitely room for a middle class, but the nobility make sure that there isn’t one. Arguably the middle class are University students (who are typically in line for good government work,) merchants, or those people with those good government jobs - but those people with good government jobs live in the Nobles’ District, and merchants live either above their shops or in the Residentials with the rest of the poor saps performing manual and factory labor. Shieldwall’s attempt to ‘band together’ involved breaking down the middle and low class and merging their living spaces. It wasn’t exactly a bad idea, save for the rift between the ultra-rich and…everyone else. Stay-at-home parents, however, can apply for pay for as long as they need to be staying at home. The elderly can apply for financing as well, depending on what they spend and their previous work. There are charities, though only a few, and mostly for orphans. The People’s University is funded directly by the Empire and the Free Order, and other than its rigorous entrance exams, admittance is free.

Day 8 - Hierarchy, Power, & Governance*

I’ll stick to just Shieldwall for this one, for simplicity sake. Shieldwall Empire is, easily guessed, an authoritarian state led by the Imperator (once simply ‘emperor’,) and a small collection of trusted advisers. It half-functions as a monarchy despite claiming otherwise - the elvish dynasty was, after all, a monarchy, as was the giants before that. There are several councils beneath the emperor and his advisers, in order of granted power: The Free Order will be touched upon in religion. The Anax Strategoi is the empire’s military and law enforcement, led by two individuals titled Anax Strategos or High Constable. Due to High Constable Klaud Parish being an adviser to the emperor, the Anax Strategoi currently has a higher place in the power structure than originally granted. The Sovereign Council of Kings is made up of High Kings and Queens, with their own advisers, who handle state-wide matters, but each answer to the emperor and cannot do anything significant without his say so. The Court, made up of barons, answers to the Council of Kings. The Council of Electors is a facade of public power. The Electors, supposedly chosen by the people, are the emperor’s favorite of the barons. The Council of Magic once held a higher roll in Shieldwall, but since the Order’s rise it has fallen to more of a ‘collection’ of known, legal, magi. Throughout book 1 the Council of Magic comes under violent attack and crumbles to nothing.

Day 9 - Religion & Cosmology*

Most religions were/are polytheistic, with rare exceptions. These old religions are outlawed in the Shieldwall Empire and Imperator Titus has all but wiped most religions off the map. Though there is still belief in old religions, none can hold a candle to the Free Order. Originally founded by Emperor Titus I, the Order is a monastic group led by the emperor that acts as a publicly owned and operated service and building. While they do not explicitly look down upon the use of magic, they often denounce it as wickedness, with very strict rules and regulations as to what is and isn’t appropriate to use. Of course, this gives the idea that magic is heresy, and Free People often support this. The People’s Monastery forbids residence’s use of magic and was one of the first buildings to use full electrical power without the assistance of magelight. The Order has slowly been gaining political power over the people as well as spiritual, and the Imperator’s role has become more prominent. They now house a special military, Good Knights, who claim to only enforce ‘goodness’ and deal in any suspicions of cult activity, fanaticisms, and demonology, but became frighteningly brutal symbols of the emperor’s power. The monastery swiftly developed a separate branch of Knights called ‘Collectors,’ who, they say, “are not affiliated with Good Knights, but assist in the cause of righteousness and honesty,” though sometimes through “necessary violence of the word and body,” and are called upon only for “situations deemed the most severe.” They claimed any violence once done by a ‘Good Knight’ was not a Knight at all, but a Collector. The monastery apologized profusely for the confusion and fear caused by “the lack of differentiating differences in uniform.” The Free Order is a belief in the Self, similar to the concept of a soul. It is believed that the soul is born tainted, and only through the Scriptures and good deeds can the soul, the Self, be cleansed. It is strongly against the belief of higher powers, putting all faith and strength in the person’s own hands and those deemed Wise, such as Free Order monks and nuns, and the Imperator himself.

Day 10 - Language**

Elvish is the current most-used language, and the official language of the Empire. It is, actually, straight up english, with a variety of accents based on locale. Elves accents can be easily described as ‘American’, with a southern lilt, while ‘humans’ tend to sound more cockney due to giants’ influence on their language. Prolish is a language similar to Italian, and Cynesian is inspired by Bantu languages (I haven’t gotten very specific with Prolish or Cynesian yet.)

Day 11 - Fauna

SURPRISINGLY BORING?? Aside from griffins and unicorns (which are oversized one-horned goats, really,) most of the animals in this universe are only slightly changed in appearance based on magical potency of their home, but really the only creatures that are significantly different are the sea animals like porpoises and fish. There’s a few species of flying fish, land-crossing fish, and a species of poisonous porpoise that looks similar to a lionfish. Most whales look more like enormous eels with baleen plates and fins.

Due to a plague being spread by birds, the empire kind of…eradicated as many birds as they can. There are very few birds left in the wild and supposedly none in captivity. There aren’t many pets in general, though a specific breed of hound is used by the Free Order’s Collectors - Wolfhound - an offshoot of Shieldwall Warhound, which are both closer related to hyenas than wolves. Centaurs and merfolk have been extinct for hundreds of years, and can’t really be included in fauna in my opinion. Humans consider Novuns to be dragons, but they don’t fit in fauna for obvious reasons.

Day 12 - Flora***(ahem, major continent)

Again, not much different than real world plants/biomes/etc. Magic’s big change is mostly in the size and growth of plants as far as real world plantlife is concerned. Growth is more aggressive when earthen faeries are around, for example. Many forests have one large ‘parent’ tree that’s noticeably older and larger than the others, often surrounded by rings of mushrooms. There’s a few new fruits and vegetables, like a soft, horribly bitter melon used primarily as a palate cleanser during banquets. Magic can have other effects on plantlife, though, like the dead-but-still-thriving flora in Dustwood, a once-lush forest ravaged by a magical fire.

Day 13 - Food

Fish is a huge part of Bersian cuisine, and this shows in Shieldwall dishes as well. There’s honestly two ‘types’ of food in the Empire: gourmet and…simple. I’m not sure what the opposite of gourmet is, honestly, and it’s 3 AM. In any case, there’s the extravagant food of the upper class and the simpler food of the lower class, a description that only attests to the look of the food, not the taste.

North and Eastern Bersian food has always been hearty and best served warm with a savory aftertaste that leaves you comfortably full, while West and Southern Bersian food follows similar guidelines but with an added flair of cold and raw and a spicier bite. They’re still enjoyed by the lower class in their original forms, but nobility has adopted more Cynesian preparation. Favorite hors d'oeuvres are usually cold porpoise (that’s been skinned and cubed, then carefully reassembled into the shape of the porpoise,) tart and bitter fruits, sweet creamy cheeses (served sometimes on a slice of bland fruit, or carved into elegant shapes,) deviled eggs (garnished with tomato or caviar,) and cooked fowl (similar to peacocks, these are also skinned and cubed and reassembled, feathers and all - fowl are considered a delicacy only found amongst the richest of the rich, and even then not everyone will be keen on eating a bird due to plague fears. Generally the only people getting away with serving bird are either the emperor himself or Lord Arlo Mavik, a trusted adviser to the emperor.) Cynesian food takes inspiration from the stuff my distant relatives would cook, so it’s more Jewish-Italian. The preparation is an art in itself, and most of the Empire’s finest chefs are Cynesian. As for the lower class, they’re mostly eating stews, cornmeal, bread, and fish if they’re in Bersia/beef and pork if they’re in Cynesis. Fruit is a very, very rare treat for lower-class Bersians, while it’s more plentiful in Cynesis.

Day 14 - Technology***(vitafuel removed)

In history, fire magi and fire fuels most of the world, followed by magelight. Magelight is considered a technology of its own, but it’s magic-based, so I’ll leave it to the next prompt. By book 1, the Shieldwall Empire’s Industrial Revolution is rocketing forward, spurred by the support of Imperator Titus and the Free Order. The People’s University and the Sanctified Inventors of Modern Sciences are at the movement’s head.

Inspiration for Shieldwall technology is very clearly steampunk, but everything runs on a fuel source marketed as Vitafuel (name still a wip.) Vitafuel is a man-made, liquid-like substance whose is, in fact, a byproduct of magic. I originally had a journal note somewhere in the novel that was later removed on the subject, so I might as well use it here: Vitafuel is a liquid-like substance, often melted and cooled into a solid and powdered. It ranges in colors based on its condition, purity, and method of use. It is highly unstable in its purest form and mixed with substances of less potency as an attempt to avoid accidents, but factory fires and explosions are common, even within the above-ground processing plants. So the question remains: what is Vitafuel? There are a plethora of rumors and legends surrounding the substance, varying from a result of farmed ectoplasm to a substance contrived from pressing strange and unknown plants from the fog-shrouded Unknown World. Such tales are fantastical and intriguing, but not so much as Vitafuel’s original source. Is the general population familiar with beasts of the sea? One may know of porpoises or the ever-frightening shark, but research shows that there are more peculiar things in the sea that have never seen the light of day. If records are true, Vitafuel is crafted from the oil taken from the skin and organs of these grotesque deep-sea beasts! With Shieldwall taking such big strides in technology, the capital city is sure to flaunt it. Streetlights have replaced oil lamps, intercoms are on every corner, airships go to and fro overhead, factories are cropping up even in smaller cities, and several types of railcars have been implemented throughout the capital, replacing horses and buggies. Motorized vehicles are a fresh new idea throughout book 1, only becoming normalized with the rich after book 2. Even in poorer households the people have running water and lights, but heating/cooling systems are a bit too expensive for some areas. Public trolleys are free to use.

Day 15 - Magic**

Magic is naturally occuring and everywhere. It being a natural part of life rather than a sin of humanity is hard for a lot of Free People to grasp and a concept they usually reject entirely, whether or not it’s true. At first, after the defeat of the giants, elves and humans worked to normalize magic, which is what gave humans their main strength to rebel against the elves in the first place (unless you’re reading current Shieldwall history textbooks, which have rewritten history was Imperator Titus intends it.) Magelight is the simplest to use and control. It’s a form of manipulation, focused on controlling pure energy that life expels. Before Shieldwall’s Industrial Revolution, most people used magelight for many things: lanterns, heat, cooking, as it was a safer form of magical fire. Runes and runestones, a magical science from the Novuns, came into popular use when Othowinski introduced demonology and astromanipulation. There have always been magi who claim magic should not be so freely used by ‘the ignorant’, but this didn’t reach common opinion until Titus’ Free Man’s Movement and the Free Order’s founding. It was the Order who penned the original Official Registry of Empire Magi, affectionately called the Devil’s List on the street. On paper, it doesn’t sound as bad as it is: magic is strictly regulated, magic being considered a skill needing registration and licensing (and renewal,) the homes and belongs of suspicious individuals - those who may be involved in demonology or runeology - must be searched thoroughly, suspicious individuals must be detained at the Monastery for questioning, upgraded laws; but with Imperator Titus quietly attempting to wipe magi off the map, the laws have become restricting, and any little thing might lead to a violent assault by Good Knights or Collectors. Anberlin Parish is one of the few brave enough to actually attempt publicizing magical-technology and runeology. The result, of course, is disasterous.

Day 16 - Fashion**

Clothes are typically designed with the weather in mind, but also feature dramatic silhouettes. With Shieldwall as militaristic as it is, fashion really varies by government standing and class. While the lower classes fashions are more focused on functionality and keeping warm and dry, the upper class is primarily focused on artistry, seeing as high quality clothing is the norm.

Due to flooding being commonplace, heeled boots are typical, and significantly taller if the wearer is also donning a dress or robe. Most popular across the board are trousers, vests, and high-collared shirts. Cloaks, shawls, and scarves are very common accessories. Not many women wear dresses or full gowns, but children typically wear light sundresses or knee-length shorts when not going to school. School uniform follows contemporary fashions and includes trousers, a short or long-sleeved shirt, a hip-length coat with a stand-up collar or a hip-length vest with a stand up collar, and a decorative brooch to signify the students’ year. Bersian fashion is seen as ‘better’ by most elite of the Empire. It’s conservative, and fairly rigid as to what is and isn’t deemed appropriate. What would be considered mens in the real world is considered unisex and preferred in Bersia. Dresses and gowns are often frowned upon, especially when worn by men. In the queer community, a transwoman or transman will wear a celebratory gown upon her or his public announcement, in the spirit of beginning fresh. Babies are often dressed in infant gowns. Dresses for weddings are becoming less and less common, with elegant frock coats gaining popularity. Drawn concepts of Bersian fashion: casual upper-class

coats

old concepts, sorta inaccurate now Cynesian fashion is dominated by soft, loose fabrics. Though the victorian/steampunk influence of Bersia is clear in current fashion, young men, young women, and children wear shorts and skirts that end at or above the knees, often flared. Bared skin is common of all genders, with no rule against going topless (it is, however, considered unprofessional due to Bersian influence, even if the person wears a sheer overshirt.) To combat the heat, most clothes are designed with ventilation cuts under the arms - if there are sleeves at all - near the knees, the shoulders, the sides of the body, and the chest. Lace is a common way of hiding these cuts when visiting or selling clothes in Bersia. Drawn concepts of Cynesian fashion: casual Besian-influenced

Day 17 - Arms***

Pistols (akin to flintlock pistols) are still relatively new and clunky. Muskets are still being designed by the Inventors.

In war, bows, cannons, and swords are still used even by the Shieldwall Empire, even alongside their pistols. Shieldwall is really the first to introduce battle with weapons - typically, wars were waged by battle-magi and summons, with weapon and defensive enchantments all around.

Day 18 - Armor

Outside of celebration, military uniforms emulate school uniforms coupled with the necessary body armor, and military decorations if applicable. Full-body metal armor is extremely uncommon and viewed as impractical, and only Good Knights are known to wear gauntlets, sabatons, and greaves for a knightly public image. Collectors wear similar-tailored suits as Good Knights, in gray with black instead of pure white, but are designed for practicality rather than imagery. Collectors wear lightweight metal-toed muckboots and leather inner-armor, with few excess decoration as opposed to Good Knights. The Watch is much more military-oriented, dressed in layered coats and muckboots of a sleeker, glossier black design than those of the Collectors. Their outer coats are decorative and vary by city, but the look of the Watch and other government law enforcement under Anax Strategos are all consistent. The official colors of uniforms are gray-green, with decoration in Shieldwall-green and gold.

Celebratory uniform is generally the same; draping cloaks, for-show weaponry, knee-high boots, trousers, and high-collared shirts and jackets. Because of Shieldwall’s strict regulation of guns, armor is typically designed to withstand blades. Good Knights and Collectors wear anti-runic/anti-magic inscriptions somewhere on their armor (as do higher ranking military officials.) On the battlefield, Imperator Titus has his officers and soldiers wearing the exact same uniform out of fear of his officers being taken hostage, though he himself will wear a set of black body armor and a helmet in the likeness of a grotesque draconic monster.

Day 19 - War

For a very, very long time, war was almost a constant state of life after the giants arrived to Bersia/Proles/Cynesis. They were very clearly unwelcome, and even in times of peace before the Novun staged a true attack, the relationship between the giants and the rest of the world was tense.

The Shieldwall Empire itself was built upon the back of war - it took advantage of a war-torn world, of war-weary people, and threatened them with worse, deadlier war. Imperator Titus preaches that within his iron fist there will be no more war and no more suffering, but he also claims that all war and all human suffering has been for freedom, for the greater good. Of this world, no world leader has been as war-mongering as Imperator Titus, and none so shockingly successful. There is little mercy from the Empire. If Imperator Titus believes someone ought to die, they will die. However, the Empire is centered around growth, and conquered nations are heaped under its control rather than wiped out entirely. Even the elves and Novun still exist, though in tiny numbers and blockaded within their own isles. Humans, after all, claim to be honorable. They claim not to kill unarmed civilians, even if past events have proven this claim wrong. Imperator Titus, before losing his leg, made it a point to join his soldiers and generals on the battlefield. Klaud Parish, Anax Strategos and a Personal Adviser to the Imperator, is still considered active in the Shieldwall military. A good half of the older generation nobility has been involved in war, rather directly or indirectly. It’s only recently, now that Titus has taken all three continents, that a generation has known a life without war. Magissian rebels, however, are trying to wage a small-scale war against the Empire, trying to tear it down from the inside out. Though recent attacks have been clear acts of terrorism, their cry for war has gone mostly unanswered, and rebellion gatherings are easily squashed.

Day 20 - Fun*

In Proles and Cynesis, Great Hunts are (were, in Proles’ case,) hosted at the end of spring and the beginning of winter, and are open to the public (with some exceptions - hunters must be counted and sign up weeks beforehand, past criminals are unwelcome, and hunters may not bring their own weapons.)

As mentioned, Bersia’s calendar is full of national and spiritual holidays. Birthdays and marriages are quite an affair, with some nobles hosting festivals or banquets in their families’ honor. As far as everyday fun goes, Bersia has a very unrelenting work ethic with little wiggle room, but there are things like theatre troupes from Cynesis, art galleries, gambling, football/soccer, marbles and dominos, tourism, racing, and fights. Street-fighting is surprisingly popular, mostly among the lower class and within the Underground. Shieldwall’s capital is awash with tourist traps, from the Empire Zoo to the airship rides themselves, to the Imperial and City Museums and Cordis, the city center, with its open markets. Fishing is an enjoyable pasttime for Bersians, and sailing is becoming increasingly popular. Before their friendship, Anberlin and Redros rest very little. Anberlin enjoys drawing, though she’s often too wrapped up in her studies to sit down and do so unless it’s specifically for her studies. It’s only years later, when their relationship reaches a comfortable point, do they ever find time to sit back and rest together.

Day 21 - Work

With Bersians being so heavily enveloped in work, the Shieldwall Empire spreads this ethic across the continents. As far as the Empire is concerned wealth is not meant to be shared, but earned - this is of course hypocritical when considering that nobility and their wealth is passed down the family name no matter what, and aside from the current family head-of-house, not many nobles work unless they’re in school. Education is not mandatory to enter most fields as there’s only one place of higher education, and applying to the place is a job in itself. The People’s University is an institute of learning but, as well, a symbol of progress. It’s the head of the Empire’s Industrial Revolution, where many certified Inventors are bred and borne and preach. Of course there are other majors aside from technology and science, but none as well-funded or as competitive. Architecture cuts a close second to the sciences in this regard, as Shieldwall is ever-building. Factory work is most common nowadays, despite the diseased fall of the old Factory District. Many poor souls slave away in the Vitafuel factories outside the city, with schedules not unlike the Bersian fishermen - leave for a season, return for a period of time, leave again - though fishermen easily have better workers’ rights than any factory ‘grunt’. There are merchants, traveling and not. Family farmers, though fewer in Bersia and plentiful in Cynesis. Artists and performers. Cynesian chefs. Slaughterhouses and fisheries. Cynesian is a host to slavery and slave trade, while Bersia pretends to be less inclined - Titus’ manor and Mavik’s estate, however, are both supposed to be reminiscent of slave plantations, and while Anberlin may not recognize that their servants are products of slavery, it’s pointed out later on in the text. The Free Order provides work opportunities as well, if one is interested in leading a hypocritical life or becoming a symbol of violent oppression.

Day 22 - The Sky

The sky isn’t unlike the real world’s sky save for, well, the ‘second sun’, which is a far-off star that’s only visible during one specific month per year.

There aren’t any floating cities or land masses, at least not as far as Shieldwall knows of. Bersia, where most of book 1 takes place, is a foggy, dreary place with lots of clouds and lots of rain. Looking up in Bersia one would see thick, dark clouds at almost any time of day, and probably an airship or two.

Day 23 - The Frontier***

There’s a few things that count as ‘the frontier’. The most obvious is the so-called Unknown World, a collection of islands and a mass of land beyond the sea. Some historians theorize that the Unknown World is the true birthplace of mankind, based on Novun writings of the giants bringing human slaves from ‘beyond the sea’. Another frontier would be their Industrial Revolution, I’d think, and their progression into sciences and new technology. The third would be the Infinity, or the Infinite, which is where the working/current title comes from (Ad Infinitum.) It’s a plane of existence between life and death, supposedly, that functions similarly to teleportation but needing a bit more focus and knowledge of the areas you’re passing through. It’s considered ‘dark arts’ and illegal to study, but when does that stop anyone?

Day 24 - The Backpack**

There are definitely essentials that most travelers carry when traversing the world, food, water, a weapon of some sort, sometimes extra clothing, maybe a blanket. Knowing some form of magic, even if it’s only magelight, helps immensely. Most adventurers are covered in runes or runestones, either to strengthen lightweight armor, increase the comfort of their boots, keep themselves dry, etc.

Redros carries two flasks, one of water and one of whatever swill he’s gotten his hands on recently - the swill flask being the larger of the two. Being a thief, he’s mostly carrying around tools and weapons, and weapons turned into tools, or tools turned into weapons. Being in the city, he doesn’t really need to carry food or drink at all, as it’s readily available even to him. He makes it a point not to use any runes or runestones at all. Anberlin is nobility, and entirely used to having things fetched for her. Usually she keeps a small notebook and a pen in her coat or bookbag, but little else. She does, however, go on excavations in small groups (or alone with Redros after book ½) and will take her tools, notebooks and pens, charcoal, and a textbook or two, depending. Later on, she carries around weapons and tools similarly to Redros’. Despite her interest in runestones, she rarely uses them.

Day 25 - Art

Art is a huge part of Shieldwall Empire, and very highly regarded. Certain arts are viewed as less legitimate than others in certain Shieldwall company, of course, specifically most arts intertwined with magic. Shieldwall taste is much more classical compared to original Cynesian arts, which were/are arguably more flavorful.

Bersians cannot seem to go a day without music, and the Empire has followed suit. There is no festival, no banquet, that doesn’t feature some size of orchestra. Most nobles learn to play any number of instruments, and to hone this education into artistry is considered an honorable feat. Singing is popular, but it is uncommon to see a singer on any stage. There are several large art museums across Bersia, the largest of which are in the capital city - one of visual arts, the other an artisan museum. ‘Battlecrafting’, as armoring, smithing, and masonry is now considered, is especially revered in Shieldwall despite the Inventors and the Industrial Revolution. The museum showcases the history of famous Shieldwall artisans, and hosts a trimonthly gallery event to showcase recent crafts. Tailors and architects aren’t included in this event, with their own private guilds, though both have their places in the artisan, Shieldwall History, and National History museums. Visual arts is a bit trickier. Portraiture is highly sought after despite the invention of the camera, and sculpture is just about everywhere in the Empire, yet other visual arts are apparently less impacting. Ceramics is often lumped into the architecture school and not very recognized besides. Shadowpainting, a type of magical-visual art that preceded filmmaking, is often blamed for the disinterest in other art styles, due to an incident where a noblewoman in the throes of dementia saw her deceased sons beheaded one-by-one by ‘dragons’ in the midst of a Shadowplay, and rushed the canvas. She was suffocated by the thick magical substance used to manipulate the light.

Day 26 - Transportation*

In book one’s prologue, Anberlin’s father takes his daughters home in a horse-drawn carriage.

Yasmin huffed. “And w-why - why are…we in a…buggy? They’re s-so…old-fashioned!” She sunk low, trying to avoid being seen out the window. “And I’m an old man who enjoys old-fashioned things. Try to enjoy it,” Parish said in an attempt to lighten the mood. “This might be the last horse we see on the streets for the rest of our lives.” He’s right, too - though horses are mentioned and still common on farms and outside Shieldwall City, the Imperator was fast to replace horse-power with engine-power. Major cities in the Empire are smothered in rails, both in the roads for public trolleys and private/public railcars, and also above in many locations, for transporting goods. The rails are still a new technology, and relatively unsafe - the Inventors are still learning. The first rails were installed within the cobblestones to keep from impeding carriage wheels, but these are extremely dangerous when it rains, and spark when flooded over. (In book one it’s Anberlin who suggests raised rails, and the old are swapped with the new by book two.) Vitafuel-powered automobiles are extremely new, and only the richest of the rich currently own them. They stay a symbol of nobility and bought-authority throughout the series. Despite their seafaring past, most nobles despise traveling by sea. Airships were invented for this reason alone, and at first held the same status as motorcars. They’re now one of the main methods of transportation between and across the continents, seeing a sharp spike in use as soon as one test route was opened to the public for cheap fare. They’ll only grow in popularity, to the point that a gang of ‘sky-pirates’ is born. Cynesian civilians are in a similar boat as Bersian, though many places haven’t entirely adapted well to railcars, and the great desert is hard on the motors.

Day 27 - Major Figures & Important Players**

Historically, there’s quite a few people important to Shieldwall history, but none as lavishly written as Imperator Titus. Countess Nazari is the most prominent historian, and she records Shieldwall’s achievements with great gusto, if not a touch (a ton) of historical inaccuracy. Sticking with Shieldwall history for now, some of the most important men and women are the original Free Man’s Rebellion, those who led the rebellion against the elvish and escaped slavery: Barnabus Othowinski, Evelyn Wilkes, Abrahan Rosseau, Jessamine Parish, Ema Wei (later Blasius-Wei), and Kathrica and Karina Popov, most of whom would go on to rule before the Empire’s rise to power. (Othowinski of Westerlyn City, Wilkes of Whitecliff Kingdom, Rosseau of the Magissian Kingdom, Popov of Eastwind City, and Kathrica of Shieldwall Kingdom.) Othowinski led a new era in the use of magic by introducing old demonology and dark arts, almost successfully normalizing them until his death, where he succumbed to burns (unrelated to his profession, though it is written as otherwise.) Othowinski is heralded as a genius in many circles and a heretic in others. Wilkes is known as the Great Traitor, having rejoined the elves, yet she began a short period of peace between humans and the elvish until her assassination at the hands of the vengeful elvish Prince Mathonias. Kathrica is known as the Wise Queen, and still held in high regard. She is known as a saint in the Free Order. The Rosseau line held the Magissian Kingdom until its downfall. Kathrica’s sister, Karina Popov, is celebrated moreso in Cynesis than in the capital, as she fiercely resisted her sister’s claims to rule (and later Titus’, even as she was on her deathbed.) In a quaint turn of events, Titus II deemed her Karina the Free, and she was granted sainthood by the Order long after her death. Parish and Blasius-Wei would become advisers to Kathrica, and their children would be the same to Titus and Titus II. Tricky thing about those Titus Blackmoores - there’s only one. To keep up appearances, Titus claimed to have fallen ill while visiting the plague-ridden town of Riverway, and crowned his ‘son’, Titus II. Due to the fact Blackmoores seem to be unaging, and with a touch of hair dye and costume make-up, it worked like a charm. Only Titus’ closest friends (Mavik, Parish, Sadovsky) and his brother Thibault are aware of the truth. Titus is the Emperor, Our Great Highlord Imperator, and he wears this title with the pride of a thousand conceited kings. I can’t think of too much to say about him that I haven’t said already, aside from him being a secret scoundrel and a notorious warmonger. Klaud Parish, and his entire family line since his grandmother, is known for honor and wartime bravery. His is a very military-focused family that he was hoping to pass to his ‘son’, Anberlin. Though he didn’t take right away to her transition, he publicly supported her until he finally decided he loved her more than the Parish legacy of war hero sons - Anberlin being a child prodigy and the youngest unofficial Inventor to date didn’t hurt, either. Though their family has been framed for treason (mostly thanks to Anberlin and her mother,) Klaud Parish is still highly, highly respected (and feared, because he can be a jackass if you’re not his daughters.) Reed Rosseau and his little brother, Geoffrey, are the last surviving pieces of Magissian royalty in the world, and most people think they’re dead. Reed has become the deadly thief Redros, known in the Empire as the Masked Thief or Skullface (nicknames in the upper and lower class, respectively.) Though Theo Blackmoore has a better record as leading the most vicious and indiscriminately-violent criminal gangs in recent history, Reed certainly has his place in newer history textbooks and the newspapers for his often gruesome murders. He’s particularly a thorn in Klaud Parish’s side.

Day 28 - Communication

Telephones are starting to catch on in the Empire, but they’re brand-spankin’-new. Speaking tubes are extremely common in the major cities’ government buildings and in the homes of the rich. In book one, the Parish family delivers notes to one another by dumbwaiter rather than investing in a speaking tube - Parish’s reasoning behind this is that “Soon, everyone will own a telephone, and I’ll just have to disassemble all the tubing.” Which he’s…not wrong. Personal telephones won’t have a place in Shieldwall for some time. For now, it’s all letters and word-of-mouth, delivered by couriers and professionalized Runners, who are trained to sprint letters and packages from city to city, often with the help of runes on their clothing or tattooed on their skin. Most professional Runners are considered in the same league as mercenaries, and spend most of their time in the Underground.

Day 29 - Weather

Much of Bersia rests in the arctic and subarctic regions, with its bottom edges just creeping into the tropics; overall, Bersia is a soppy, rainy place. Much of the Bersian calendar (now the Empire’s global calendar) revolves around the rains and storms of the land. The east is a bit drier (a little bit. Kind of? Barely.)

Cynesis is brighter and warmer, with much of its mass just at or below the equator. Unlike Bersia’s year-round rainy season, Cynesis shifts between a wet and dry season, with little distinction between summer, fall, winter, or spring. The largest known desert is located in northwest Cynesis. (While it’s notorious for being flat and sandy and hot, Cynesis also has an entire web of underground caverns and tunnel systems leftover from the dwarves, where some human towns make their homes - half of Eastwind, the main trading city of the Empire, is underground to escape the constant heat.)

Day 30 - Disasters

The Bersian Calendar starts after the Great Flood at Year 0, though this is, admittedly, known to be inaccurate. Scholars simply can’t manage to find any records of life before the Flood. (This is because much of humans, save the evlsih and Novun, didn’t come from the three continents, but from the currently Unknown World.) The Gods’ War, the war between Novun and giants, is considered the ‘first’ disaster after the Great Flood, in which many fairyfolk were (mostly accidentally) rendered extinct. Since Shieldwall was built upon war, they don’t really consider wars to be disastrous (unless of course it’s not one of their wars, then how dare someone have a war. “Why weren’t we invited,” Titus cries, breaking through the city gates with a cannon. I DIGRESS.) The largest magical disaster, not including large-scale demonic attacks (because most of these are made up by the Order, and by most I mean 99%,) is the Hundred Years’ Fire, raging between 1698 and 1797. Overnight a magic-inflicted fire erupted near the Bersian coast and spread in an X-shape across land and sea, cutting off Bluestone Isles from the mainland and destroying several northern seaside cities of the Empire. For the years the fire raged, Bersian economy suffered, losing much of the fisheries they relied on. It’s only recently that they’ve risen back to their original prosperity. Currently, a plague is inching its way through the Empire - mostly Bersia. As it kills the poor and stays behind the blockade, it’s considered more or less ‘background noise.’

#novel stuff #writingtag

0 notes