#elbeth fact ~ world lore

[bluemooncove]

I give you a rough draft of the world that Beauty and the Beast takes place in. I am not sure if the map is going to look the best on Tumblr (though opening it in another tab can help) but I hope it's something. This is primarily just showing the names of kingdoms and a rough estimate of their borders. So that you can get an idea of where the cast is from whenever their ethnicity is given or they talk about having done a contract somewhere.

Now, in reality, this is a world coming out of the feudal age but it's still fairly feudal. As a result of that minor changes to borders happen quite regularly and some parts of kingdoms and empires may be far more autonomous to the point of being near independent (think about Aquitaine/Burgundy within France). There's also probably several small 2 or 3 providence kingdoms that just aren't rendered due to size.

In the case of the Jaeger States and Marinare Coasts they're really just a series of independent city states that are lumped together on the map for convience sake (that's why I added cities on those ones to represent the main city states). Bon, the Jara Confederation, Tecumseh Federation, and the Inner League are, similarly, more alliances of multiple groups that a united kingdom (but really that's just Feudalism in general in a way)

Not featured on this map is the lost kingdom of Makedan (which is somewhat a stand in for Sheba) but it had been located in territory that's now split between Muskuv and Sivartian.

[bluemooncove]

Okay time for an

Introduction to magic on Elbeth (part 1)

When I first started this blog the magic was completely undefined as the setting as a whole was just meant to facilitate rp interactions. In time, however, I've become attached to this world. This is my attempt at drafting basics of magic. Note that a fair bit of these ties back to the previous lore on how spirits function. Also note that this is intentionally overly complex to facilitate being able to make very different characters. Finally note that while I prefer in character lore posts magic is something of a lot of scholary debate in universe so they couldn't explain it effectively.

Alrighty let's start off with

The sources of Magic

Magic has been studied for over a millenia around the world of Elbeth. Given the dangers of the wilderness and seas, word did not often travel fast or far. This rings true even as some factions begin to operate across the entire world. For that reason a multitude of differing magical approaches and theories have developed. Often there are clashes between assertions developed an ocean apart, made by basing theory on the limitations of their style. Some go as far as to state that there are multiple different magics rather than a single encompassing system. Other agree magic is unified in source and rule. In particular, many schools debate if religious magic and traditional magic are one and the same.

What few scholars will question is the fact that anyone can wield magic. Well, theoretically. There are people born with an intrinsic ability to sense or feel magical energy around them, this is known as being touched. Those who are not touched must first go through the process of honing their spiritual senses. Something quite difficult even with a skilled teacher. Even among the touched the level of sensitivity to such energies can vary with many still needing a tutor. Secondly, most of the feudal kingdoms and empires of Elbeth work to keep magic firmly in the hand of the nobility. In large swathes of the world it is illegal for mages to take commoner apprentices or for academies to open their doors to them. These two factors serve as a bottleneck to developing magical ability. Somewhere around 10% of the world's population can perform some magical abilities but less than 1% of the population can perform powerful feats of magic.

It is, of course, possible to learn magic on one's own but being self-taught is quite challenging. To understand why lets go into the powers behind magic. The core: Spiritual Energies, Leylines, and Inner Alchemy. As well as the auxiliary: Words of power, Materialism, Symbology, Places of Power, gesticulation, and instruments. It's a lot (part of the reason mages are so few) but some is much more important than others.

Spiritual Energy

In case you do not recall the lore on it, lets do a quick refresher. A spiritual land overlaps with that of reality, filled with spiritual denizens. Just about everything within the world produces some form of energy in the spiritual world. A burning torch produces flame energy, vast amounts of water energy is made by the oceans, strong feelings such as anger and joy create energy, there is energy of innovation, nature, beauty, progress, and varying arrays of energy embodying concepts. Granted some energies are much rarer than others. Spirits feed off of these energies and as they taken in more and more energy it effects the form of spirit they evolve into.

With that summary done, how do these energies effect mortals? Well, mortals have the ability to shape and manipulate this energy as well as to absorb spiritual energy from their surroundings into themselves. This is the core basis for the casting of magical spells. If one wishes to cast a spell to create a bolt of flames or make it rain then a quick application of fire or water energy is the simple solution.

It is simple but simple does not mean safe. Absorbing spiritual energy into their bodies create several risks for mages. For one it makes them a tasty snack for spirits. Spirits struggle to drain energy from the living but it practically spills out of mages as life fades. In tandem with this, whenever a mage vents this energy to cast spells it draws spirits right to them, magical duels basically create a lingering spirit buffet. A secondary accompanying issue is the effect of letting this energy into their bodies. As it turns out, filling up on magical energy can have varying effects on the body. Lets take the blog mage Necromancer as an example!

Necromancer makes heavy use of Cthonic energies for the casting of her spells. Most notably the energies of death and decay. Having these energies flowing through her body is what causes her to be so pale, physically weak, and easily tired. Over the long term this can have severe effects on a mage. Even should she vent all of her energy, it would likely take years for Necromancer to recover due to having such energies flowing within her body for so long. On the other hand, a pyromancer's body is hot to the touch, far worse than a person should be. In any case, one should be careful not to overload on their energy of choice.

All living creatures have natural life energies (this'll be touched upon more under inner alchemy) but even if this energy is spiritual there's only so much room for it in a person. Mages that pool large amounts of energy in their body often do it at the cost of some of their life force. A fact that weakens the body. There are two responses to this limitation. Some mages take excellent care of their body, regular exercise, eating healthy, and self-care to give themselves a higher pool of life force to work with. Others do not bother and instead accept that they're trading physical health for great power.

Alright we're almost done with the dangers but next one requires a bit more explaining of the process. The majority of the process of casting a spell happens eternally. One manipulates the energy flowing through their body as they prepare a spell. As a result of this, should something go wrong with spellcasting, the effect normally occurs within the body of the caster. This is, as a general rule, not good. As a light example, a hydromancer that miscasts may find themselves vomiting up a ton of water as the water energies run wild in their body.

Continuing with an explanation of the process. It is generally much easier to manipulate energies and perform magic when you understand how the things you're doing function. It's easier to manipulate the wind around you if you grasp how air flows or to create a fire blast if you understand combustion. Thus become a mage often involves the studying of the natural sciences and mathematics. Others choose to learn the basic rules of how things works by practicing spells of certain styles repeatedly. Whatever the method it is considered important to understand the magic you're working with. For that reason the majority of mages specialize. It just ain't possible to know everything about everything. Most mages instead become experienced in a few similar energies which leads into the development of pyromancers, time wizards, gap witches, and so on. This is not just a matter of better understanding what they're doing, it also allows the caster to become more accustomed to the energies they work with and build up a tolerance to their effects.

One can store multiple energies within their body in varying amounts. As it flows through the mage's body, the energy can even be used to manipulate one another. Such as fire and water energy being processed to produce steam energy (rather than drawing it from a natural source of steam). Of course this is an advanced process that can throw off the energies of the body when done without experience. Generally it requires a good understanding of natural sciences.

One point of importance among mages is the concept of prime elements. These are energies that serve as fundamental building blocks of reality and are considered core energies of magic. They are said to be core because they are abundantly available, easy to manipulate, and particularly potent. Different schools, however, identify different elements and their energies as being the prime elements. Elements are highly tied to alchemy and thus the two predominant approaches come from centers of alchemy. The Espardan Style states that the prime elements are: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth. The Gale Approach instead lists Fire, Water, Earth, Metal, Wood. While these are the two largest schools of thought, with widespread practices, smaller schools and regional styles identify many other concepts of prime elments, such as void, space/aether, steam, ice, sound, electricity, bone, life, smoke, light, mind, decay. It's safe to say there are many theoretical elements to choose from. Many mages predominantly work with elemental based magic and are known as geomancers, elementalists, or druids.

It is important to note that much less energy is needed to manipulate the environment than it is generate from the energy. As an example, it takes far less fire energy to form the fire from a nearby brazier into a ball and fling it than it would to create a fire ball on one's own. In addition it is much easier to draw energy from regularly refilling sources than to seek it out on one's own. Thus many mages either specialize in a style that fits the environment of their home or flock to places that support it. That is you'll often find pyromancers around volcanos and water witches by the sea.

Mages are set to have a pool. This is how much energy they can store within themselves before it starts having a negative effect. How much their pool holds is referred to as depth and depth varies from mage to mage. Training can increase someone's depth but there is a wide variance in the depth people are born with. Other factors that have an influence over a mage's casting ability is the rate at which they can absorb energy from the environment around them and the amount that they can release at once in their spell slinging.

The use of magical energies is where the debates on if faith-based spells are magic are most notable. Most magical priests/champions do not drain spiritual energy as typical mages do (though they can learn to do so). Instead the energy seems to be provided to them by their gods. This limits their abilities to that which falls within the purview of their God but also means no need to gather energy or suffer the effects of storing it. Granted casting too many spells still proves an issue as all the energy places strain on the body, so they do not gain limitless casting through their faith.

The magical energy most unique and of the greatest note is Creation. Creation is said to be an emulation of the energy used to create the universe and the world. It is by far the most potent of magical energies and can be used to create things outright (be they temporary of permanent) or used in conjunction with another energy to create far more powerful spells. It is far more versatile than any other energy. It is, however, incredibly difficult to harness or manipulate taking a heavy amount of skill to utilize. Not only this but, while most energies can be stored long term, creation quickly starts to fade. It is not easily harnesses from environmental sources either. The primary source of creation is through the creation/performance of art. Any mage that wishes to make use of creation must learn art of some form. Be it music, dance, poetry, etc. That's not to say that any artist can use creation magic, it's still remarkably difficult to learn, but to properly use it one needs to be an artist. An easy way to make use of small amounts of creation are small chanted rhymes when one performs a spell. This is what non-bards to do get just a tad bit in.

As a final aside, a mage draining all the energy from a point will have an effect on the world around it. Draining all of the life/plant/nature energy from an environment would cause plants to wither and die in a small area. While draining all of the fire energy from a brazier would snuff the fire out.

Leylines (Mana)

Okay this one I will try to be a lot briefer on.

There are a few pathways of energy traveling across the world. Religious scholars claim that when the gods stiched the world together these lines were the seams. It's not been proven but there aren't many better explanations. Regardless lines travel across the world that a special (non spiritual) energy flows from. These lines are leylines and the energy flowing from them is mana. The point where these lines meet are known as Ley Stations. Mana flows from all leylines and exist in small amounts in areas distant from them but Ley Stations are wellsprings of mana. So great mage institutions and places of power tend to be set up on ley stations.

With that in mind what does mana do? Well mana is the purest magical energy. It is not inherently required to cast spells but it is used to both shape the energy within spells and to convert energies. For example, a hydromancer could use mana to convert their water energies into ice or steam as they cast it. This, again, requires a strong understanding of the physical properties of the energy and the further removed from one another they are the greatest the cost. It costs way more to convert water into fire than it does to convert it into ice. Mana allows a caster to perform spells outside of their specialization or that they don't have the right energy prepared for it. Mana cannot convert any other energy into creation energy but it can very easily convert creation energy into any other kind of energy.

It is also used to shape and enhance spells. A spell without mana is much more difficult to control (although there are other ways to do so). A complex spell requires mana as does performing feats such as creating a burst of energy with a specific shape or excluding someone from the effect of a spell. It can also be used to bolster the area of a spell, similar to creation.

Mana is also used for physically transmuting things. Converting lead into gold? That's mana! This means that alchemists, even when they are not mages, also tend to seek laboratories located along leylines or ley stations if they can manage. It can even be used to influence the spells of others. If one tries to dissipate a foe's spell or redirect it? Then that would be using their mana.

Mana pools separately from other energies and does not have a negative effect for storing it within a mage's body. Despite this each mage has a limit to the mana they can hold at about roughly the same size as their main energy pool. It cannot exceed this but it can be converted into crystals that grow off the body of the mage. These crystals are gathered up to create emergency reserves of mana. Often one is worn in an easily accessible place like a necklace while others are carried in bags or stored at their place of power.

Inner Alchemy

And the final core energy of magic comes in the form of inner alchemy. This deals with not spiritual energy or the magical energy of mana but rather natural life energies that flow through the bodies of people in this setting. These are a set of a few energies that keep people, well, put together but that can also be used by those who know how to manipulate them to enhance magic. It is important to note that all of these energies are important parts of one's health. People within this setting are not meant to run out of them and it's generally fatal or horrific health effects when one does. Secondly it is important to note that most people within the setting (even mages) do not have much of a concept of inner alchemy at all. It is primarily hermits/monks that work with it beyond their use in casting spells.

Qi is an energy of physical health that flows through a person's body. Manipulation of it can be used to expedite healing and protect one from disease but if it's flow becomes blocked/stuck it can instead cause sickness. Those who understand it are aware that Qi can be burned to perform miraculous physical feats such as running at absurd speeds or leaping great heights. This is by most accounts not magic but rather its own technique. Nonetheless, Qi has the strongest link to spiritual energy. The path that Qi follows within the body is the same as spiritual energies, meaning anything that disrupts the flow of one disrupt the flow of the other. It also means that Qi and spiritual energy intermix. Thus, when one casts a spell, Qi may be burned to act as a substitute for more of the spiritual energy being used. Like filler between the real magic. Eating healthy, exercising, and spiritual purity help to increase the generation of qi once it has been expended.

Vim is the core life energy, the life force of the body. It flows within the oxygen and blood of a person's body. When all of a person's Vim is gone they expire. The same applies in reverse, the moment a person passes all of their Vim is gone. Given where Vim dwells, it tends to escape when a person is injured. As Vim is reduced it weakens a person, sapping both their strength and their energy. Under normal circumstances these effects do not go beyond what would be the expected result of an injury but normal circumstances implies someone isn't harnessing their body energy. Just as is the case with Qi, Vim can be used to enhance the magic one casts. Specifically Vim is able to put more power behind spells in the same way that Creation can. Making a spell far stronger than it otherwise would have been at the cost of life force. A risky idea, given Vim is also lost through injury, but another way to bolster magic. So long as the other bodily energies remain healthy, Vim slowly regenerates. Though at a much lower rate than others. Some scholars and doctors claim that casting with Vim slightly lowers one's lifespan, even after their Vim regenerates, but this has not been proven.

Then there's Vigor. Vigor is more akin to a mental energy, think of it like willpower. It flows from the heart and the mind. Not through veins but rather radiating out into the rest of the body. It is generated through caring for one's mental health, just as QI is by physical health. Expending one's vigor leads to a sensation of a lack of willpower, motivation, and emotion. Running out of it doesn't have the same health effects as the other two, but those who do are left feeling empty inside until they can recuperate. Vigor is interesting because it can be used to resist magic as well as for trying to burrow through someone else's magic resistance. Think of it like a shield that an experienced energy manipulator can use to withstand effects to influence their mind or transmogrify them some way. When combined with Mana it can be used to shrug off spells entirely. While mostly defensive, one can attempt to use their own vigor to try and break through the protection of one with less vigor than them.

(Honestly if I ever expand on Hermit stuff more life energies will probably be added so this may not be conclusive).

The Auxillary

Okay, yeah, all of the above are the main aspects of casting magic in this setting. Below are additional factors that play into casting magic but aren't truly requirements. They'll be a lot briefer.

Words of Power

Magical chanting is not so much a thing in this setting as it is in others. Many casters do speak whenever they cast a spell, typically in their native tongue, but it's not a component of the spell itself. Rather, magic can be seen as an attempt to force your will upon the world itself. A forceful word of power, such as 'burn' when one casts a blast of flames, can enhance the force of the spell itself. Making it more intense in the process. Think of them as enhancers.

Simple one word statements work just fine but some people prefer attempts at quick rhymed commands, in order to draw upon small amounts of creation magic. There are magical runes (which will be touched upon later) and some scholars suggest these have come from an ancient magical language. This has not been proven though and there are no known special power words.

The exception to all of those casting faith magic through their god. Such spell casting does require prayers to their god, which do come in the form of brief few second statements. Spells of greater power are wordier and require more time ... or faster speaking. A second exception are magical rituals. While spells require no statements, complex rituals have far more rules to them. Several involve chanting in religious language or specific statements made as one makes their magical request.

Materialism

There are many objects that radiate specific energies within this setting. Green gem such as jade and malachite emit pure energy which can interfere with necromantic spells. At the same time it can bolster healing magic. Thus the presence of such a stone can be used to bolster one's magic or to weaken enemy mages.

The use of materials varies greatly depending on style, material, and spell. Some can simply be carried around. Hang around with another mages and you'll notice they're often decorated in rings, piercings, and other magical components. These tend to be reusable unless one drains all the energy from them. Others must be burned or melted. Others involve eating the material. These facts mean that dedicated mages have an interest in acquiring materials just as alchemists do.

Symbology

When creating charms and seals, it normally works by placing the required magical energy and mana into a physical object. Normally this is decorated with magic writing created with special mana-imbued ink. Other times symbology comes in the form of special magical runes, ancient symbols that produce magical effects when mana is run through them. It's said that these runes are gifts from the gods to ancient man.

Places of Power

These also get called workshops. Basically mages set up places that heavily tie to the energy they gather in order to make spellcrafting easier. You'll notice that on Necromancer's bio it mentions her spending a lot of time in crypts because that's where cthonic energy gathers. Her place of power is a crypt. Not only do places of power serve as sources of energy to store but mages are also at their most effective battling in their place of power, due to the presence of their elements meaning they can cast spells far easier. When possible they're set up along leylines and ley stations.

Gesticulation

Gesturing is not a requirement to cast spells but it is an important part for several reasons. For one, it allows a caster to also shape their spell. The area, where it will effect, etc. As is mentioned in the core, mana can be used for this, but combining the effort with gesturing greatly reduces the mana required. You could cast a spell without moving but it'd be unfocussed and chaotic.

Proper movements not only allow for the shaping of spells but can be used to more quickly draw energy into one's own body. It also can either help or hinder the flowing of energy's through the caster's body. With this reason movement and mobility is quite important to a skilled mage. There are many forms of "magical martial arts" which work to incorporate the movements used in spellcasting for attacks or dodging.

If a mage works with spirits, many spirits are placated by forms of dancing. Dance is also a powerful way of drawing out creation if one is experienced in working with those energies. Thus there are some styles of magic that heavily incorporate dance into their spellcraft. Among the most notable are MokuMoku's own Geodancers, an ancient tradition that combines spirit dancing with elementalism.

Instruments

This one is much more an aesthetic thing than anything. Many spellcasters use tools such as wands, staffs, broomsticks, brushes, and whatever else. Generally their main purpose is to give a caster somewhere to focus the magic at immediately before casting. Outside the body is preferable in the case of a misscast or the spell's disruption. Some are enchanted in some way to help with drawing in energy or casting spells. Some mages used wands to draw the attention of others where they want it or as a feint to disguise where their spell will actually be coming from.

Really most mages can easily cast spells without a tool. After all, it's easy enough to cast a spell from a pointed finger or something of the like.

[bluemooncove]

Some of the big time names of the guild stay in the game until it eventually kills them. That's not the case for all of them. Take, for example, one of the guild's founder (and member of the legendary 12 Heroes) Tactician has been retired for over twenty years now. He's been living out in the plains of Moskov in a sleepy little town called Lowfield. Doesn't even attend most guild functions. Rumor has it he's two busy raising a family of five.

[bluemooncove]

"Wow Lis, your adventurers talk about contracting a lot but what does that actually entail"

If a quest gets approved by the B&B guild then a contract is formed between the adventurers and the one who places it. Quest here really refers to any sort of job. Hiring Alchemist to brew a potion for you is as much a quest as hiring Necromancer to research strange Necromancer or to hire both to delve into a tomb or act as your bodyguard. If you're hiring them to do something it's a quest.

Quests have both a flat rate and a wage. The first is typically paid up front the second is paid throughout. If you're just hiring them for one specific goal and it takes less than a week (travel time doesn't count) then it's just the flat rate. For example, want to send Necromancer and Alchemist into a tomb to get a relic and it'll only take a day once they get there? That's just the flat rate. If it's for an ongoing task, even if it takes less than a week, you've gotta pay a wage too. So if you hire them to bodyguard you for five days they're getting their wage because the job is continously ongoing.

Wages are either daily, weekly, or monthly. It cheapens over time. That is to say a weekly wage is less than a full 7 days wages and a monthly wage is less than a full 4 weeks wages. Just good business. The price of both the flat rate and wage are variable. Accounts such as how broad the duty is and the level of hazard are big factors. Something easy like doing some quick alchemy in a lab for an hour is way cheaper of a flat rate than needing them to explore a full tomb. And hiring Alchemist to do any alchemy tasks you need done in a safe lab for two weeks is much cheaper than hiring her to bodyguard with you for two weeks.

Negotiations are handled between the adventurers being contracted, some of the higher ups of the guild (primarily Secretary), and the contractors themselves. If the contractor breaks the contract early they owe them that full periods wages but not the rest of of it. So if a beauty is contracted for 4 weeks but it's broken part way though the second week she's owed the second weeks wage but not weeks 3 to 4. The maximum period a contract can last is 3 months. It can be renegotiated/renewed afterwards but Beauties don't bind themselves to a job for longer than 3 months at a time. There are also some emergency clauses, such as the guild falling under attack, that allows Beauties to be recalled but guild policy is to issue a full contract refund in such cases.

Beauties can be contracted individually or as a party. If it is as a party it is only one contract rather than individual contracts and is cheaper than doing so individually. However parties are formal thing within the guild and you have to contract at least 2/3rds of the official party to be able to count as contracting a party (and in those cases you're best off contracting the whole group since they work best as a full team).

At times kingdoms hire out the entire guild to serve as a landsneckt force but that's not particularly common and is a REAL expensive deal to acquire.

[bluemooncove]

Alright this is Lis coming to you live with a map update for this world and some bonus map content. First of all I wanted to touch up the map a bit by coloring it, as the original had been blank. I thought a combination of greens with a bit of yellow/red looked nicest. Secondly I wound up expanding the map a bit as I wanted more space between the eastern most continents and where Beauty & Beast were. I also wanted to fit another place in, so two birds with one stone by making it bigger. First here's a look without political markings.

As you can see there is a new land mass. As well as a few more islands thrown in. To be honest I'm not sure if I prefer it to the ORIGINAL but I think it gives me a bit more room to work with. To accompany it here is the political map.

As you can see I left a significant chunk of the new continent unlabeled. That is so that I can possibly fit in a few other places later without needing to mess around with the general shape of the map anymore.

Finally, here is something I thought could be interesting. A whited out version of the map with color markers to indicate where members of the guild are from. This contains all the characters who have been added as muses, all the Meisters, and a few characters who've been mentioned in universe. I do not know if this is going to be at all readable, even when opening the image in another tab but I hope it works.

[bluemooncove]

Nah, nah. There actually is concepts of realm-walking with the BMC setting, in order to more easily acclimate other folks crossover muses, but dimensional travel of members of Elbeth to anywhere else is incredibly rare.

Rather interactions in someone else's settings just kinda take place in a fuzzy thing where they're typically natives of the setting, just from somewhere far away.

[bluemooncove]

"Meister of Ceremony, Troubadour. Excuse me! Coming through! The guild hall remains not particularly centaur friendly and I've been here since the second generation."

"Oh wow! The guild really does have men in it! You're like an endangered species!"

"And Apothecary, the Meister Physician of the Medical Council. Second generation beauty, apprentice of one of the finest alchemists in Khmeria."

"Matriarch, the one running the council of guild affairs as the Meister Secretary. Not to be confused, ya know, with Secretary. When the guild is mobilized I act as Rottmeister of the first rotten. That's first to fourth squadron."

"'Sup, I'm Siegebreaker. One of the third generations, I mainly help out the Wild Ones when they end up somewhere fortified. Part time with the Second Squadron as well."

"The Meister Tactician of the Security Council, Gold General. When a contract calls for the entire guild, I lead them as knight commander of the guild overseeing each of the Rottmeisters. I also act as the Rottmeister for the first to fifth cavalry unit and personally am captain of the Fifth Cavalry Unit, the Goldbearers."

"Hessian. Yes, the head comes off, however did you notice?"

"Ummm, wait ma'am, hold on a second. Hesse doesn't exist in this world, so how could Hessian be used as a title? This would confused people."

"I refuse to be headless horseman and there's no way I'm using Dullahan. ... Fine, Lancer fourth generation beauty. Also, don't call me ma'am."

"Oh dear, I hear that title is cursed."

"Iron Maiden. I'm in the fourth generation but if you happen to recognize me from anywhere, how about we keep it on the down low? Otherwise Dragon General may want a word for you!"

"Cavalier, Fourth Generation, successor to the previous Cavalier. Please do not call me Looker, it is a mean nickname. I was Armor Knight's apprentice, you know! It's very prestigious!"

"Third Generation Hive-Mind. We are soooooo pleased to meet all the new apprentices. We hope we get one of our own!"

"Uhhh, is it just me or is that a concerning name?"

"Scarlet Knight, third generation. I'll be taking that leech girl as an apprentice. I've got the scent of a certain fox and I think she does too."

"I ... am ... wake tender. Third generation. ... It is a pleasure ... to meet you all. ... Do not mind the ... ooze ..."

"Ranger, third generation beauty! Don't mind the others, they can be a bit strange but I promise everyone here has your best intentions in mind."

"Desperado, also third generation. Listen, I doubt any of you would want to apprentice under me. I'm only here because Ranger dragged me to it."

"Ashigaru, fourth generation. Do you all know Phantom? She said she found someone interesting among the candidates."

"It is a pleasure! Here they call me Samurai but given I no longer serve the Daimyo of Rokujima it is unfitting."

"And I'm her sister Fusilier. We're fourth generation!"

"The Apprentice thing? Oh no, I'm not here for that. Sorry, horrible timing but I'm only here for Necromancer. Oh ~ but you can call me White Lady."

"Medic! Third generation! I implore you all to do some training with me, knowledge on emergency healing is always important in our line of work."

"Inquisitor, an elder of the fourth generation. There aren't any mages among you, are there? I only train non-mages."

"Custodian, second generation. I used to go by Hospitaler but I am much happier with just tending the facilities now."

"Third generation guild member Kunoichi. If you aren't afraid then please step into my parlor. There's much I can teach you."

"They call me Psion or sometimes the Mind Sleuth. I'm third generation and I'm not sure there's much I could teach most of you but, then again, who knows."

"Maybe I don't understand surface culture, but this guild is stranger than anything under the sea, girls."

[bluemooncove]

"Special guild member Idol, a part of the Zeroth Generation. Lets all try to get along well, alright?"

[bluemooncove]

"Princess, the fourth generation Beauty. I'm something of a big deal even if they don't know it yet and this is my teammate ..."

"Bodyguard of New Espadra! I must admit, I was shocked to realize my lady was not the only princess here."

"My guild name is Geodancer and I am the Meister Speaker of the council of Island Affairs. I am the only fourth generation Meister."

"Spiritmancer. I'm technically a fourth generation but, unlike the others, my accolades precede me."

"Musketeer, Third Generation. I wanted to be Duelist but that's already a messy enough affair!"

"Apprentice within the fourth generation, Winter Witch. I am the apprentice of Dragoon. My assigned introductory party is with Seeker, Sentinel, and Dusk Witch."

"Watcher, Zeroth Generation guild member. This adventurer thing is really quite novel. I have requested Seeker to be my apprentice."

"Involuntary guild member Ronin, regrettably fourth generation."

"Well hawdy there everyone! I'm the third generation Beauty Chieftan. You may have saw my team in that little adventure with Rirune before."

"Excellent, excellent! Now that we have voice lines for the totally legitimate Beauty & Beast gacha we're going to be absolutely filthy rich!"

[bluemooncove]

Since I've got a bit more time to myself for the next week, how about we stop and take a moment to meet some of the side character members of the guild and see if any of them are interesting.

"Fourth generation Beauty, Merchant! My apprenticeship was with The honorable Miss Secretary. I've since become one of the most respected in the fourth generation, being the latest to be added to the admission's council."

"Landsknecht, Meister Seneschal of the the Finance Council. Captain of the First Squadron. My apprentice, Armor Knight, seems to have eclipsed me in popularity but I'm still as strong as I was back then."

"Footman, third generation and the lieutenant of the second Squadron.

"Hey Sass, ain't red hair meant to be rare? Feels like a wildfire in the guild hall today."

"Guardian, of the Second Generation. Once Captain of the Second Squadron but I now primarily shift from party to party."

"Illusionist, second generation Beauty. Along with my partner, the Meister Justice, I handle the legal affairs of the guild. Additionally, I provide defense when any guild member is called before council or tribunal."

"Duelist, third generation ... and Duelist, fourth generation. It's for the best you that you don't ask."

"Is it guild tradition to stand around and interest yourselves like this?"

[bluemooncove]

Actually let me expand on that one again real quick to explain what I mean when I make reference to a guild chapter/waystation.

As has been mentioned the 4 Great Guilds work to some extent across the world in their setting (though with some territory predominantly in the pocket of one guild or another). The guildhall itself, however, is on MokuMoku island and does not move. Despite this the guild takes contracts in places far from there. Sometimes contracts that can last months or even years.

For that reason the guild (and other major guilds) maintain some support facilities across Elbeth. Places where members can rest, resupply, gather information, etc. It's particularly important to be able to stay somewhere safe during long contracts.

These support facilities can be ranked in three ways: Chapters, waystations, and hideaways. In addition these facilities may be openly a part of Beauty & Beast or hiding their connection. The type of facility and how they present themselves depends on the region.

A chapter is an actual, much smaller, guild hall/facility. A chapter has its own guildmaster (though they're, of course, still subordinate to the main guild) and sometimes has other regular guild members that work beneath them. Other times the non guildmaster members of chapters are instead local adventurers hoping to earn a spot with Beauty & Beast by serving in the chapter guild without being a formal member. Chapters only exist in major places where the guild operates regularly. Even then chapters that maintain actual guildmembers beyond their masters are only within the most important guild regions. Across the whole world there are only 7 chapters and only two maintain actual members beyond their master. Though efforts have been made to create a hidden 8th chapter in Sun, the major guild there has been blocking every attempt.

The masters of these chapters actually hold a fair bit of sway in their own corner of the world. It's true that they're subservient to Beauty and that within major guild politics the meisters are above them all but nobody outranks them in their own territory which gives them pretty much full control over their own chapter. Unless someone steps out of line enough to be noticed. The title used for the head of these guilds varies. Guildmaster, Guildmatron, Junior Meister, Keeper, Primarch. Really its more set by the chapter's master than standardized.

Waystations are a bit more common. They are effectively safehouses across the world of Elbeth operated by a single person without underlings. Unlike chapters they don't have anyone running around doing jobs or taking quests of their own, instead it's just a master of the waystation that makes sure supplies are stocked and the place is secure for guild members. Of course, they also keep their ear to the ground to gather information. Some of these waystations are manned by members of the guild (though typically semi-retired ones since this is primarily just a custodial position) others are manned by trusted associates that have proven their loyalty without being adventurers themselves. Some waystations are openly guild stations, others are disguised as other things such as taverns or courier posts.

Finally there are hideaways. These are facilities indirectly owned by the guild but with no one manning them. Basically small bunkers with supplies stashed in them that members know to recognize but others do not. Like a hidden cellar in some old closed down shop that leads to a few supplies and a place to rest.

In this way Beauty & Beast is able to support its size without needing to stretch itself too thin. The extra chapters allow for places to station members at times when the guild's size is too large to center on just the main guild and make it easier to operate outside the island.

(I envision the guild with a membership of around 100 but because they are often traveling for assignments the single hall can typically support all of them. The exact size of the guild has fluctuated at times though and contracts aren't always frequent enough to keep enough traveling for the main guild to function on its own, so the chapters gain more members during times of high membership)

Edit: The additional benefit of this system is that it allows for less conflict over who gets the post of "Meister." With there only being 12 Meisters others who are with the guild for a long time and have the skill to qualify for such a position can be appeased by being offered the opportunity to run their own chapter or sometimes to man a particularly important waystation (Waystations are seen as notably less prestigious than chapters)

[bluemooncove]

To clarify that last one a little bit. Beauty & Beast is kind of a middle ground between an actual medieval guild and a landsnekt company.

So they have the traditional guild ranks of Apprentice, Journeyman, Meister. With apprentices those being taught skills and being pretty new to the guild. Journeymen traveling and doing actual guild work. Then Meisters who manage the guild affairs and run it. Unlike real guilds (well sort of though) there's a specific finite amount of meisters that can exist at a time (One for each council) unlike actual meisterhood where anyone who completes a masterpiece can claim the title.

Of course the guild gets around that a bit by making others who would effectively be a Meister instead the master of a Beauty & Beast guild chapter (waystations that they use to operate from off of MokuMoku).

But alongside the traditional guild ranking, because 90% of the guild are all journeymen but some have more authority (and a higher pay grade than others, they also make use or rank to some extent. Though the only thing I presently have set is that "Captains" typically lead official parties

[bluemooncove]

Sometimes cities fall in Elbeth. As I've said before large groups tend to frighten off monsters so cities tend to be safe from all but the handful of city dwelling monster species. This is not always the case however.

Sometimes a particular monster, like a basilisk, becomes extraordinary large and powerful. It rampages and in the process arrives as a frontier city. Should the city actually fall it can have disastrous effects upon the region as the people are forced to flee to neighboring territories.

This is a very rare event but it has happened and it likely will again. Cities in regions that undergo a significant administrative shift, like a major conquest, are the usual location for such an occurence.

[bluemooncove]

While Dragoon was occupied dragging Seeker from the pond, Dusk Witch had slipped off to the side with Sentinel. She glanced up to the balcony that overlooked the courtyard. Moments ago a woman had been there but she was now gone.

"Sass, what's the deal with the lady in the tower?"

"Tower?"

She follows her friend's gaze upwards to the third floor balcony. Its sliding door connected to what seemed to be a bedroom. She replied in turn:

"Spru, I don't think the third floor of the guildhall counts as a tower."

"Okay, well, what's up with the lady on the single balcony in this place?"

"I only noticed her for a second before but that looked like Beauty."

"Beauty? Like the guild's name?"

"You know ... Beauty? One of the twelve heroes of Makeda? The ones who defeated Gevurah?"

"None of what you're saying means much of anything to me."

"Well we can't be having that, It's important history to our guild. I'm from Velva this story isn't far from home so I think I can tell the basics pretty well."

It felt nice to get to call it our guild. She and Spruce had a home now. As Sentinel readied to tell the story though, she couldn't help but feel like someone was watching her.

"Once, over a century ago, there was a kingdom named Makeda, home of the Makedans. Local legend says it's where humans originated from. It was a kingdom to the south of my own and they were regular trade partners of the Velvans. It was gone before my time but my grandmother passed to me the stories her grandmother had given to her. They said it was beautiful even more so than the hanging gardens of our once-king. It was said to have lasted for hundreds of years led by a long line of wise philosopher queens."

For a moment discomfort spreads across Sentinel's face. A few awkward seconds pass before she forces a smile and continues.

"We, uh, aren't much fans of queens anymore in Velva but even now the Makedan queens are treated with reverence. I wonder if we'd feel the same way were they still around? But, as you've probably gathered, they aren't. After hundreds of years of rulership their kingdom fell to a man named Gevurah. Some call him Daemon King Gevurah and others Daemon Whisperer Gevurah. I guess it depends on if you believe he was an actual Daemon come to our world or simply one with great ties to them. Regardless he was a powerful warlord who cast the kingdom into flames. Where his legions came from nobody knew but he ravaged the land of Makeda and forced its people to flee.

It was then that he did the most heinous thing of all. He opened a portal to the Daemon land! From it poured countless evils that spilled out into our world. What was left of Makeda wa-"

Before Sentinel could finish her thought she felt a gentle hand come to rest on her shoulders. She glanced behind herself, following the arm back to the woman it came from. A mild mannered woman with a soft smile on her face.

"Pan-Dae-Monium."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt and I don't meant to eavesdrop but you are talking quite loudly. What you called the Daemon land has a name. The place that Gevurah opened a gateway to was Pandaemonium. Where all Daemon dwell. The gateway he created, a jaw of panic, doesn't just let Daemons cross into this world. It allows bane from Pandaemonium to flow into our world. Bane is the energy that Daemons survive off of, the way that you both need food drink and air. It is born from mortal suffering and anguish and they cannot go long without it. That is why Daemons rarely spend more than brief instances in this world. That energy coalesces in Pandaemonium, where they live, but through this portal they could sustain themselves within Makeda."

"I didn't know all of this. The guild has some really educated people in it miss ..."

"I'm hoping to have my name changed to Paladin or maybe Holy Knight, so please refer to me as that."

The woman ruffled Sentinel's hair and then walked off. She gave a brief wave to the still preoccupied Crusader before slipping through a courtyard door into the hall itself.

"Folks really are friendly in the guild huh Spruce? I just finished the part about who Gevurah was, right? This proved to be an enormous problem. Not only were Daemons now spilling out into our world without any summoning but the numbers of monsters in the world also rapidly increased. They say that Daemon beast masters were creating them. These forces of evil spilled out from the borders of Makeda and began to terrorize everywhere around my home continent. Not just that but they went further west to places like the Gale Empire. It was a crisis that lasted for decades. Eventually it required the cooperation of kingdoms across Elbeth to muster a grand army. Unity never shown before and that hasn't been shown since.

Heroes from many kingdoms formed together to lead an army. They say there were forty of them. Leading soldiers from all over to drive back the Daemons, reclaim the fallen kingdom, and slay the villainous Gevurah. The heroes that did it are modern legends."

"I get it, so that Beauty lady is one of those forty heroes?"

"Good you were paying attention but, um, not quite actually. You see forty heroes left on this journey and twelve heroes came back. Beauty was one of the heroes that came back but she wasn't one of the ones that left. I don't think anyone knows where she came from. Everyone who tells the story gives a different explanation. What does matter is some how she joined them and she was one of the ones that made it through the finale. One of the twelve to beat Gevurah!

Afterwards she and a few of the others went and formed this guild. Most of the rest of the founders are retired now but Beauty, the leader, is still here with the guild. I think that's who the woman that watches from the balcony is."

"It's really amazing that you know so much Sass. Just ... something about what you said doesn't make sense. You said that crisis lasted for decades and that they founded the guild after buuuuuuuut you also said told me before this guild was somewhere about thirty to forty years old. If she was some kind of legendary hero when they were dealing with Gevurah she'd have to be fifty or sixty at a minimum, right? She didn't even look middle aged yet."

"Yeah, huh ... how 'bout that?"

"I bet your idol drains the life out of people to keep herself young! mwahahahaha!"

Now Dusk Witch is cackling while Sentinel tries to get her to shut up.

[bluemooncove]

Doing something a b it more zoomed in from the world map I tried to create a map of the guild's main location the island kingdom of MokuMoku itself. It's just a rought draft and the map came out a bit smaller than expected (I should have made all the symbols bigger) but here ya go.

Much of the naming is inspired by Hawaiian as it is the biggest influence on the kingdom. I do not speak that language but I've done my best to try and learn the basics of naming rules in order to craft some place names that can sound vaguely correct.

[bluemooncove]

As far as the religions in this fantasy setting go I try to be ambiguous about the reality of faiths. Cleric and paladin types certainly perform holy magic based on their faith but I personally don't consider that to be a garuantee of the gods existence.

Perhaps all the gods exist. Perhaps none of them do. Perhaps it's somewhere inbetween. The purpose of gods in this setting is not to exist as characters themselves. Their existence serves to shape the way characters interact with each other and their own outlooks as well as explaining sources of power.

Plus, given spirits and other purely supernatural things exist in this world and that they can be quite powerful. I believe there's some ambiguity on what makes something a god, which the churches of Elbeth do not agree on.